Love Heals
by Rose DiVerona
Summary: Sequel to Viva La Vie Boheme! The Bohemians go through adoptions, divorces, and more trauma as they learn that love truly can heal everything.
1. Nailpolish and News

A/N: I'm back, with the long-awaited sequel to my story Viva La Vie Boheme! I decided to do a sequel first, than I will do a prequel to it all. So this will be, come completion, a three-part series. Hello again to all my faithful reviewers, and welcome to any new readers! I would suggest you read Viva La Vie before this one, but I guess it isn't _entirely_ necessary. (It would explain quite a lot, though!)

Diclaimer: I still do not own Rent. Nothing has changed - wait, I do now own the companion book!

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"…And tomorrow the weather will be rainy, with a high of 56 and lows in the 30's, so there may be a little more of that sleet we've been seeing-˝

Mimi Davis sighed and, leaning across the couch, switched the radio off. More wet weather. She _hated _the rain. Why couldn't the temperature drop a few degrees so there'd at least be snow? All the start of the year had brought so far was rain, rain, rain.

It was January 10th, seventeen days since Mimi had once again found herself in close proximity with death. Roger, back to his normal, overprotective self, had confined her to the apartment building to recover. Since everyone else was at work or school, she was stuck home listening to weather reports. Pathetic.

Mimi sighed and stretched her legs out onto the bare wood floor. She shivered as her bare feet touched the cold surface and recoiled back into the safety of the couch. Her eye caught the bright pink cover of a book Maureen had leant her and she sighed and reluctantly picked it up. A Guide To A Woman's Soul. Whatever that was supposed to mean; Mimi had read the 'About the Author' section, saw that the book was written by a lesbian for lesbians, and hadn't touched the thing since. It was the thought that counted, right?

A knock on the door startled the dancer into dropping the book on her lap.

"Um…come in!" she called.

The door opened and Maureen waltzed into the room, carrying two large bags and beaming like she'd won the lottery.

"Hey Meems, I brought you stuff!" she sang, and promptly slipped on a piece of sheet music and fell on her rear end, causing one of the bags to fly out of her hand and land upside-down in Mimi's lap. Underwear (???) went everywhere.

"You brought me underwear?" Mimi asked incredulously, only half-joking.

Maureen turned red and immediately scooped the lingerie out of sight. "No, that's mine. This," she plopped the other bag onto Mimi's lap, "is for you."

Mimi peered inside and pulled out a few magazines.

"I figured you'd wanna keep up with the latest gossip," Maureen shrugged.

"That sounds like something one of the girls would say," Mimi remarked. When Maureen didn't respond, Mimi looked over to see her beaming at the floor.

"Earth to Maureen?" Mimi called, waving her hand in front of her friend's face.

Maureen jumped. "Oh, sorry Mimi. I was just daydreaming…"

She had a well-known look on her face, like she had a secret, so Mimi asked, "Is there something you wanna tell me?"

"Yes!" Maureen said, as if she was going to burst with excitement, "But no one else knows, and Jo and I were going to tell everyone together…"

"Tell me," Mimi begged.

"Okay – Jo and I – we're gonna adopt a little girl!" Maureen squealed.

"Oh, Mo, that's great!" Mimi grinned, dropping the magazines and hugging her friend. "You must be so excited!"

"I am! We've been thinking about it for a while, but then you got sick, and…well, we put it on hold," Maureen said quickly, "But now we're really going to do it! We just have to fill out some paperwork and they'll pick a little kid for us. We're asking for ages three to six. I wanted to tell you right away, but Joanne didn't want anyone to know ahead of time. Oops!" Maureen didn't look like she felt guilty about going against her girlfriend's wishes. "And we're gonna be mothers! It'll be so cool! I've been waiting for this for practically _forever_, but the time was never right, and now, _finally_, it's happening!" The performance artist stopped to take a breath, and in that brief pause they heard what sounded like Rachael and Angie clattering up the stairs.

"Shhh! Don't tell!" Maureen cautioned. She pulled a bottle of nail polish out of the bag and began to talk normally, painting Mimi's fingernails in the hot pink. "So I saw this shade, and I knew it was totally you," she explained, "What d'you think?"

Mimi played along as the door opened and the two teenagers came inside. "I like it. Very girly."

"Hey Mo, hey Mom. How're you feeling?" Angie asked, approaching the two women.

"I'm doing great, hon, thanks. Best I've felt in a long time," Mimi replied. She waved her half-painted fingernails at Rachael, who grinned and waved back. "Maureen brought me a care package. Do you like it?"

"Interesting color choice," Rachael called over.

"Thank you," Maureen resumed her paint job, winking at Mimi.

"Make sure you let me borrow it, kay?" Angie said, "So I can paint Dad's nails while he's asleep."

They all started to laugh, when the door burst open and Joanne came running in.

"Pookie, what's wrong?" Maureen asked.

Joanne took a breath. "It's Mark and Anna. They've been in a car crash."

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A/N: -Evil laugh- Don't you love those cliffys? Review!


	2. Some Unpleasant Information

A/N: I love updates, don't you? It's great to know I've got some of my faithful reviewers back for the sequel! Unfortuanately, I may not be able to update for a week or so, because I'm going out of town. If I can update sooner, I promise I will.

Disclaimer: I know you only have to do this for the first chapter, but I just like to make up stuff for it! This is Jonathan Larson's, not mine, with the exception of a few characters!

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Roger paced around the waiting room, his fists clenched, as he waited impatiently for the doctor to come back and tell him how Mark and Anna were doing. It was more than a coincidence, Roger was sure, that he'd been walking down the very street that the crash had occurred on only minutes earlier

_There was a large crowd of people up ahead, steadily growing, and Roger could see a car, mangled horribly. Poor folks – wait! That was _his _car! In an instant, he pushed his way through the crowd. A police officer tried to stop him, but he broke through._

"_That's my car! Those are my friends!"_

He'd watched as they'd carried Mark and Anna into the ambulance on stretchers. There was blood everywhere. He'd ridden to the hospital, called Joanne. She promised to get the others there.

Just then, the door swung open. Roger looked up quickly as his friends filed in, unusually quiet. Mimi threw her arms around her husband's neck, shaking with silent tears. Angie sat on one of the plastic chairs, wincing; Rachael had her arm in a death grip. The blonde-haired teen's face was white but dry – she seemed more terrified than upset. Maureen took the seat next to her, pulling the younger woman in for a hug. Joanne came in last.

"What happened?" Mimi asked quietly.

They all turned to Roger expectantly. He reluctantly told what he'd seen and knew.

Rachael let out a muffled noise at the end, and everyone immediately began comforting her.

"It's okay, it's okay, shhh," Maureen whispered, stroking Rachael's hair and being, for maybe the third time in anyone's memory, serious and still.

"You're gonna be a great mom," Mimi said, despite herself.

Joanne's head snapped up at this comment, but she seemed to realize now wasn't the time and contented herself with shooting Maureen a look.

The waiting room door opened again, and the doctor, Dr. Martin, came in. Immediately, Roger, Mimi, and Joanne jumped to their feet. The others waited in dreaded silence, Maureen still holding Rachael close.

"Well…?" Roger asked impatiently.

Dr. Martin sighed and adjusted his glasses. "This may be difficult to hear, Mr. Davis…" he began.

"Oh my God, they're not…" Joanne out a hand over her mouth.

The doctor shook his head. "Mrs. Cohen had remarkably few injuries for the magnitude of the crash, but the passenger's side of the vehicle was the lesser damaged. She has a gash on her leg and a sprained wrist, plus a minor head injury, but we will be able to release her in a day or two in a wheelchair. She should be on crutches in no time."

Rachael started crying in relief, and they all let out a silent breath. Roger remained stiff-legged, his jaw set.

"What's difficult to hear, doctor?" he asked softly, "What about Mark?"

Instantly, everyone turned back to the doctor, once again silent.

Dr. Martin consulted his clipboard. "Mr. Cohen, I'm sorry to say, has been moved to intensive care. The driver's side of the car was completely mangled. Mr. Cohen has not yet regained consciousness, and he has suffered a concussion in addition to a broken arm, both legs broken, and a few ribs cracked. He is threatening to slip into a coma. We are not, at this point, certain that he will make it through."

Pandemonium broke out. Rachael collapsed on the floor, crying. Maureen reached out to catch her, but she was unable to stop the tears from coming, either. Joanne stood staunchly for a full ten seconds before sitting down in a chair, hard, obviously struggling to remain composed. Mimi was crying just like Maureen, her head on Roger's shoulder. Angie slid onto the floor next to Rachael and hugged her tightly. Roger was in shock. He could only stand and stare straight ahead.

The doctor spoke again. "Mrs. Cohen is available for visitation now, if you would all like to come with me…" They were all too upset to be angry at the doctor's seeming unconcern at their worry over Mark.

Uncurling slowly, Rachael and Angie stood up. The adults all stood as well, and they solemnly followed the doctor into the depths of the hospital. Dr. Martin led them to Room 205. The door was closed, and he stopped in front of it and turned to the rest of them.

"Now, Mrs. Cohen has just been through a lot of trauma, so I have to ask you not to mention the state her husband is in. It may only make matters worse for her recovery. Please keep the conversation light."

Roger looked up angrily, his green eyes pained. When he spoke, his voice was scratchy. "You're asking us to pretend that one of our best friends isn't dying as we speak. _My best friend is dying!_"

The last sentence was almost shouted. Several passing nurses looked up in alarm, and Mimi placed a hand on her husband's arm.

"Roger…" she pleaded. He shook her hand off, eyes blazing, and glared down at the doctor, who was at least six inches shorter.

Dr. Martin looked bemused and slightly frightened. "Mr. Davis, perhaps you had better wait outside until you've…uh, regained your composure. We wouldn't want to send Mrs. Cohen into hysterics."

Roger slunk down into himself, defeated. "Sorry," he muttered.

The doctor looked immensely relieved. "All right, we'll go in now. Smiles, everyone!" He missed the glare a red-eyed Rachael sent him, but Roger didn't miss the thankful look he received from her right afterwards. He nodded, smiling a little, and they went in.

Anna was propped up in her hospital bed. She actually looked fine, other than the cast on her wrist and the bandage around her head. As her friends came in, she turned and smiled at them all.

"Hey! Did you know that the hospital won't give you anything to drink other than Sprite? I mean, some iced tea would be more than welcome!"

Everyone cracked a grin as Rachael hurried to hug her mother.

"Thank God you're okay!" she said in relief.

Anna hugged her daughter tightly, than glanced up at the others. "Mark?" she asked.

Roger's throat constricted, but Mimi stepped in to answer.

"The doctor tells us he's doing fine. We haven't actually been in to see him yet." That was the truth.

Anna looked down at her sheet. "He protected me, you know. In the last minute, he sort of threw himself over me. That's all I remember before the impact. A spin, and then a crash…and Mark." She looked up, her eyes filled with tears. "I'm glad he's okay. Since you guys are going to see him before I will, could you tell him something from me? Tell him thanks – I don't know if what he did helped, but it was brave all the same."

Everyone looked down, this revelation stunning them into silence. No wonder Mark was hurt more – he'd taken the hit from his side, _plus _getting a little from the other. It may have cost him his life.

"Guys?" Anna asked.

Joanne looked up, her eyes tearing. "We will," she promised.

"But it's a good thing the crash wasn't too bad," Anna said, once more happy, "And we're all okay, and that's what counts, right?"

If only she knew.

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A/N: -Dramatic music- Sort of a half-cliffy! Btw, if you don't get the doctor's name...well, you don't know Rent that well! I'll reveal it (for those of you who truly don't know) at the beginning of the next chapter!


	3. Mark's Fate

A/N: Dr. _Martin _is Jesse L. _Martin_. Duh. Okay, first of all, just wanted to let you all know that I am out of town right now. I must love you all a lot, because I took time off of my vacation to update a chapter. Secondly, this is a LONG chapter. Maybe the longest I've ever done or ever will do again. I struggled to find a stopping point, so I just let it go. So PLEASE review!

A/N 2: This chapter has been revised since the first submission!

Disclaimer: N-O.

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Later that evening, Mark still hadn't regained consciousness. The Bohemians had gone up to the cafeteria around seven to get dinner, but most of it tasted like sawdust – none of them was really in the mood to eat. There really wasn't much to say; a dismal silence hung over them all. Rachael refused to leave her mother's side for even a minute, so Mimi and Angie stayed with her in Room 205 while the others sat in the waiting room, waiting, waiting, always waiting.

At about 9:00, when visiting hours were over and the entire group was seated in the waiting room trying to decide what to do, the door opened and Dr. Martin came in. Instantly, everyone was on their feet.

"I don't have news for you all just yet," he said apologetically, "But Mr. Cohen needs a blood transfusion, badly. Do any of you have Type A blood?"

"I do," Rachael, Roger, and Joanne said together.

"Hospital policy requires a signed permission form from a parent or guardian in order for minors to give blood," Dr. Martin told Rachael, "And since that isn't really possible…" He turned to Roger expectantly.

But Roger remembered something and slumped down in his seat. "I'm HIV-positive," he mumbled.

"I'll do it," Joanne said at once.

The others smiled gratefully, and Maureen squeezed her wife's hand as Joanne left with the doctor.

An hour later, when Joanne had been returned to them, slightly weak but smiling, and Rachael and Angie were dozing off, a young nurse poked her head in.

"Um…Dr. Martin says that two people may come in and sit with the patient Mark Cohen," she said.

By unspoken agreement, Rachel and Roger stood, promising the others that they would be informed of the slightest change in Mark's condition. Then they followed the nurse into the hospital.

"Mr. Cohen hasn't woken up yet," the nurse, Martha Walker by her nametag, explained as they navigated the halls, "But there is nothing more we can do for him now, not until he wakes up. It's out of our hands. Here we are," she announced as they stopped in front of a closed door. "You can both go in and sit with him quietly. If there are any changes at all, just press the yellow button on the bed to call me in." She left them there, turning the corner into the nurse's station.

Roger took a deep breath and turned the handle, easing the door open. It shut with a quiet click behind he and Rachael, but neither of them noticed. Their eyes were fixed on the bed.

Mark looked awful. A white pad covered half of his face, but the part that could be seen was cut and bruised nearly beyond recognition. His arms were above the sheet, and the left was in a cast, the other heavily bandaged. One of Mark's legs was in a sling above the bed; the other produced a large bulge under the sheet. He looked so defenseless just lying there, breathing slowly, in and out. It was too much.

Rachael burst into tears and fell on her hands and knees on the linoleum floor, where she curled into a ball. Roger was crying, too, but he leaned over and picked Rachael up in his strong arms, sitting on a chair with her in his lap as they both let the tears flow.

It seemed like they sat there like that for hours, but finally Rachael gathered up her resolve and perched on the end of her father's bed, putting her hand gingerly on his broken arm.

"Dad? I don't know if you can hear me…but I know you're in there somewhere…I just wanted to let you know that Mom is okay. She told us that you tried to protect her…it worked, but now you're like this…" She sniffled and took a shaky breath before continuing. "I hope you're not mad that I'm crying. I'm just really, really scared. You never wanted me to see when you were sad, but I always saw anyways. I know how to get on the roof," she laughed tearfully, "I know you were really upset when we lost Collins…he was so great. I was sad, too. It's hard when we lose someone, but…oh, Dad, please wake up! I couldn't bear it if you left me, too…" And Rachael broke down once more, wetting the sheet with her tears.

Roger buried his face in his hands. He wanted to comfort Rachael, but how could he, when he was so scared, too?

_Mark's the last person to deserve this, _he thought sadly, _None of us deserve him, but he's always been there anyways. I should die first! I'm the one with AIDS, and yet I'm not the one in the hospital bed…It isn't fair._

As if to torture Roger even more, his brain brought back the memory of a crisp Halloween afternoon a long time ago, when life was full of pain and indecision. He recalled Mark begging him not to leave New York, reminding him of how much he still had.

_There's me, there's Mimi…_

And then later, angrier, _Perhaps it's because I'm the one of us to survive!_

Was that still true? Would Mark survive? Or would he be the one who didn't?

He glanced over to the chair with Mark's recovered things and his eyes teared up again. Mark's trusty camera lay on top, somehow miraculously undamaged. It hurt a lot to realize Mark might never hold it again.

The silence in the room grew more and more with each passing hour. The hallway outside quieted at least a little as the time grew later. Roger moved next to Mark's bed and watched his friend anxiously. Rachael lay down next to her father and feel into a sleep-like state. The others must still have been out in the waiting room, trying to get some sleep on the plastic chairs. There was no way they would leave.

It was past midnight when Rachael started and jumped up. "He moved! I swear, I felt it!" She looked wide-awake now.

Roger was compelled to believe it was just her imagination, but he leaned over to see. Sure enough, Mark moved his arm slightly, then his eyes flickered.

"Oh my God," Rachael squealed, "Dad?" She began pressing the nurse-call button rapidly, punching it again and again.

Roger stared, eyes full of hope.

Martha rushed into the room. "What is it?" she asked. Then she saw the movement and ran right back out.

An instant later, Dr. Martin and a few other doctors and nurses were crowded around the bed, testing Mark's breathing, his blood pressure, etc. Mark still wasn't fully awake, but he was blinking blearily.

"Everything seems to be fine. We'll alert the rest of your party and be back soon," Dr. Martin told Roger, and then they were gone.

Rachael cautiously approached the bed. "Dad?"

"Rachael? Is that you?" came Mark's faint reply. His daughter nodded tearfully and hugged him extremely gently.

"Ow," Mark moaned. He blinked again and turned his head toward Roger. "Who's that with you?"

Roger walked to the bedside and took Mark's spare glasses, which Mimi had thought to grab, from his pocket. He leaned over and slid them on Mark's face. With his glasses on, he looked a little better.

The filmmaker grinned. "Roger!"

"Hey, buddy," Roger said gently, "You really had us going there for a while. Do you remember what happened at all?"

Mark opened his mouth to answer, but the door swung open and the rest of the group poured in, Benny, and, surprisingly, Ben, among them now.

"Marky!" Maureen gushed, "You're awake!" She swooped down and planted a kiss on his forehead. Mark winced.

"That was a bruise, Maureen," he complained hoarsely, but he smiled weakly.

"We were so worried," Joanne confessed as she kissed Mark, too. That was a first. Mark turned red as everyone looked curiously at Joanne, who looked a little embarrassed.

"What, no kiss from you, Mimi?" Mark teased. That was the first clue that Mark was going to be okay – his humor was still there.

"Oh, what the heck," Mimi said, and she kissed him as well.

"We're so glad you're okay," Maureen said, "The doctor's didn't know…" but she didn't need to finish her sentence.

"I'm okay…I think," Mark said feebly, "Except I feel like I've been run over by a bulldozer."

"Close," Mimi said, "But it was a semi."

"What exactly _did _happen?" Angie asked. They all looked at Mark.

"I don't remember all of it," Mark said, "I was picking up Anna from work, and we were just driving into the East Village. We were at an intersection, and this huge semi came barreling out of nowhere on my side. I guess I sort of tried a ridiculous attempt to lean over Anna, but that's all I remember. I went unconscious on impact…" His head suddenly snapped up, bringing forth a gasp of pain. "Oops…" he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut in pain.

"'Oops' is right," Joanne said, "You've got to be careful, Mark. No sudden movements."

"Right," Mark said weakly, turning to look at Roger. "Anna?" he asked.

"Better than you," Roger grinned, "She has a head wound and a sprained wrist and a leg wound. She was awake a couple hours after she came in."

Mark's face registered immense relief. "And me?" he questioned.

"A concussion, two broken legs, a few broken ribs, a broken arm, and some nasty cuts and bruises," Rachael recited, seeming much better now that her father was definitely going to be okay.

"Oh," Mark said simply. He laid his head back on the pillow for a minute. Then he spotted Benny, who hadn't spoken the whole time, and smiled wryly. "Why did Muffy-"

"Alison," Benny corrected automatically.

"-Miss the show?" Mark finished. Now everyone, even the Coffins, was smiling.

"There was a death in the family, if you must know." Everyone looked at Benny in surprise.

"Really?" Maureen asked. Benny nodded. "Who died?"

"Our akita-"

"Evita?" Mimi asked, her mouth open.

"No. Lady Beverly Francis." Benny said.

There was silence. Then, simultaneously, they all burst out laughing, even Mark (in short gasping chokes).

"Who gives their dog a name like that?" Angie asked, giggling.

Ben smiled sheepishly at her. "Me – I was only four!"

"Really, the dog did die," Benny said, "but that's not why she isn't here with us. It's because-"

"She hates our guts?" Mark cut in.

"Well…yes, but…Alison and I are getting a divorce."

Roger, Mark, Mimi, and Maureen looked shell-shocked.

"Really?" Roger asked. Benny nodded.

"After all these years, you've finally come to your senses?" Maureen asked.

Benny gave her a look. "We had a good thing going for a while," he said, "But it just isn't working out."

"Won't you have to get a new job?" Joanne asked.

Benny shrugged. "I guess so."

It was clear everyone wanted to ask more questions, but the door opened and Martha came in.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you all to leave now. Mr. Cohen has just survived a near-death experience, and needs his rest. You can all come visit tomorrow." She said.

Mark did look worn-out, and he was clearly in pain, so the other didn't argue. One by one, they said goodnight and promised to come back as soon as they could. Rachael was clearly very reluctant to leave, but Mark told her to get some rest, and Mimi told her she was going to spend the night with them. So Rachael kissed her father and left with the others.

Roger was grinning all the way back to the car. Everything was going to be okay. Mark and Anna would both survive. The crash had been just another blip in their lives. The Bohemians could pull through it. No day but today, right?

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A/N: To all of you who thought I would actually kill off Mark, HA! Yeah, right. I could _never _kill my Marky! The dog's name was for my friend, capriblue (who has yet to review this story at all...). It's sort of an inside joke. I changed the spelling of Benny's wife's name from "Allison" (the way it was in Viva) to "Alison" because I got the companion book and that's the way it's supposed to be spelled. Please review!


	4. More Drama

A/N: Okay, I seriously owe everyone a MAJOR apology. It's been two months tomorrow since I've updated this story. Usually I update a lot more often, but I forgot how hectic the end of the school year can be, coupled with the free exhiliration of summer! So I got writer's block. But I finally got this chapter up, and it is really long, so I hope you guys are satisfied for now. I wish I could say the next chapter will be up within a week, but I can't. So I will update as soon as I can! Thanks! Oh, and for all you Americans, Happy Independence Day!

Disclaimer: I really shouldn't bother with these anymore...

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The next day, Roger, Mimi, and Maureen went back to the hospital to visit Mark and Anna. Mimi was still on sick leave from her dance studio, and she had gotten some of the other instructors to fill in for her for a few weeks, so she was fine with work. Since Roger and Mark's work could be done on their own time, Roger was okay for a few days at least. But Joanne had to work, so she promised to pick the girls up from school and stop by later.

Anna was already bored with the hospital and had started worrying about what her school class was doing without her, despite Maureen's reassurances of the obvious – that there would be a substitute. She was scheduled to be released the next day if she continued doing well. Mark was animated as well, though still weak, but he didn't look much better. He had always been small and pale, and now he looked especially so. It was easy to tell that he was still in a lot of pain, but he tried to hide it.

Dr. Martin was still periodically checking up on both patients, but he said that the couple was past the dangerous point. They were definitely going to be okay. On one of his rounds, he pulled Roger aside.

"Mr. Davis, can I have a word?"

Roger followed the doctor into the hall. "Is everything okay?"

"Well, healthwise, yes. Both of your friends are showing miraculous progress. Mrs. Cohen will go home tomorrow, though we do want her to stay off her leg for a few days. Mr. Cohen we will want to keep a while longer."

"So what's the matter?"

The doctor sighed. "I don't want you to get discouraged because of what I'm going to tell you, but I feel you should know the truth."

"The truth about what?" Roger asked, feeling a sense of dread.

"Mr. Cohen broke both of his legs rather badly. It is possible…that he may not walk again."

"What?" Roger asked faintly.

"When a person breaks their leg, they sometimes have to go through therapy to learn to walk normally again. Mr. Cohen broke both of his legs, so therapy will be twice as difficult, and could even be ineffective. We have a wonderful therapy center right here at the hospital that our patients often make use of when they feel they are ready, with some of the best experts in the state. But even that might not be enough. Mr. Cohen would have to work very hard and be completely committed to learning to walk again." The doctor sighed again. "I guess what I'm trying to say is to not give up on the prospect of your friend walking again, but to prepare yourself for the fact that he might be in a wheelchair from now on."

Roger found himself unable to speak. Mark, never walk again? It wasn't like it was Mimi or Maureen, for whom that fate would be almost unbearable, but still! Roger hadn't even considered the possibility of a disability from the accident. He finally found his voice.

"I understand."

"Good," the doctor said, "I'm very sorry. I would have told Mrs. Cohen, but I thought she had enough on her mind right now without that worry. I'll leave it to you to tell the rest of your family. Would you like me to tell Mr. Cohen, or would you like to?"

"I will," Roger said.

"All right." The doctor inclined his head and disappeared around the corner.

Roger went back into Mark's room, his head spinning with the revelation he'd just been told. He decided he would tell his friend later…much later.

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At five, Joanne showed up with Rachael, Angie, and Ben.

"What's Ben doing here?" Mark asked good naturedly.

Angie explained, "His mom's out of town, and his dad's still at work, so he didn't have a ride home."

"My dad's gonna come and check up on you guys in about twenty minutes, and he'll take me home with him." Ben cut in.

"Where's Mom?" Angie asked, looking around.

"She's visiting Anna," Roger said. Angie and Rachael ran off to see. Ben hesitated, then followed them.

About five minutes later, there was a knock on the door and Rachael came in.

"We've got a surprise!" she said shyly. The door opened all the way to reveal Anna in a wheelchair with Mimi pushing.

Mark sat up, grinning. "Anna!"

"Hey, honey," Anna replied. The two hugged as best they could while everyone else beamed.

"I'm so glad you're all right!" Mark exclaimed.

"Me? I just found out that you were in intensive care yesterday! _Someone _forgot to mention that little piece of information!" She turned to shoot Roger a glare.

"I'm fine," Mark said, just as he winced. "Just a little sore, that's all." He shifted again and winced again. "Okay, a lot sore!"

"You did crack some ribs," Joanne pointed out, "And you lost a lot of blood."

"Yeah, the doctors told me I had a transfusion. From you, in fact." He smiled. "Now I have some of your blood!"

"As long as it doesn't make you obsessive-compulsive, that should be okay." Maureen joked, earning a playful slap from her wife.

The door opened then, and Martha the nurse came in. "Hi, everybody, I'm just here to check up on things with Mark." Martha, too, had come in regularly to monitor Mark's blood pressure, feelings, etc. The group liked her much better then Dr. Martin. For one thing, she didn't seem intimidated by the huge group of visitors in just one room, and for another, she called everyone by their first names.

Martha was in the middle of checking Mark's blood pressure when Benny came in.

"Hey, everyone. Sorry I couldn't come earlier, I got caught up at work." He noticed Anna in her wheelchair. "Oh, hi! I didn't get to see you yesterday. How're you feeling?"

Anna smiled warmly. "As good as new, really."

Maureen and Roger rolled their eyes. Since Anna had not been a part of the Bohemian family when all the trouble with Benny had happened, she never really understood what kind of grudge the others had always held against him. Of course, she'd never been completely friendly to him, but she didn't see a reason to be nasty when she had no personal motive. Thus the kindness. Roger still disliked Benny because of the whole Mimi thing, but he had started looking at him in a bit of a kinder light mostly because Angie was dating Ben, who seemed a decent guy. (That was a big compliment, coming from Roger about his only daughter's boyfriends!)

"Well, Mark, everything seems fine," Martha said, straightening. "Just make sure you don't overexert yourself! Are you sure you're not too tired now? Would you like to get some rest?"

Mark shook his head. "No, I'm fine. Really."

"Okay. I'll be back later." Martha smiled at the rest of the room and left, the door shutting with a click behind her.

There was silence in the room for a few seconds, but then Maureen naturally broke it, bouncing onto Mark's bed with a laugh.

"So…Pookie and I have something we wanna tell you all. We wanted to wait til everyone was together."

Mimi perked up. Joanne frowned.

"Maybe we should wait, Maureen. I mean, we're in a _hospital_…"

"Aw, but I can't wait any more!" Maureen pleaded. She turned to Mark. "Marky doesn't mind, does he?"

Mark looked interested. "No, I don't care. Go ahead."

Maureen took Joanne's hand. The rest of the room waited with bated breath.

"Okay…well…Joanne and I are gonna adopt a little girl!" Maureen squealed.

"Ohmigosh! No way! Really?" Angie squeaked, jumping up and down.

"Ohhh, that's so great! You two will make _awesome _moms!" Rachael hugged them both.

"Congratulations, you two," Mark said enthusiastically.

"It took you long enough!" Anna joked, hugging Joanne.

Roger grinned. "Nice one."

"So…do you two have any ideas for a name?" Rachael asked, glancing from one to the other.

"Well, we aren't planning on adopting a baby. We'd prefer ages three to six."

"Are you guys going to let the agency pick her out for you, or are you going to go in?" Angie wanted to know.

"We're not really sure yet," Joanne said, "I mean, my belief is that the agency could match us with the right child. But then again, if we go, it could be love at first sight."

"You should go in!" Mimi said, "Nobody knows what's best for you but you." This statement was met with complete agreement.

"What happens if you do end up wanting a baby?" Ben asked, a little shyly.

"On the off chance something does happen and we end up adopting a little one, we like the names Rose, Lilly, Michelle, Emma, Megan, and Krista." Joanne said.

"You forgot one!" Maureen pouted.

Joanne sighed and rolled her eyes. "And Maureen likes the name Destiny Sky."

"Destiny Sky?" Anna's eyebrows rose skeptically, "It sounds like a perfume or an old cheap movie."

"Hey!" Maureen looked hurt. "I love it! Destiny because it was destiny for Joanne and I to get married and have a child one day, and Sky because the sky's the limit. Destiny Sky Johnson-Jefferson."

"Don't you mean Jefferson-Johnson? We agreed on alphabetical order." Joanne reminded her wife.

"You just want it that way because you want your name first!" Maureen countered angrily.

The other Bohemians could see this erupting into an all-out war that it was best to avoid, so Mimi broke in loudly.

"Well, I like the names Krista and Rose the best!"

Everyone else caught the hint and broke in with their own preferred names. The room got so loud that nobody heard Martha come into the room until she cleared her throat loudly. Finally, she got everyone's attention.

"I'm sorry, but the hospital visiting hours end early on Thursdays, so it's time for you all to leave."

Martha wanted to take Anna back to her room right away, so her husband and daughter hugged her and Roger and Mimi promised to come get her from the hospital the next day.

Ben sidled up next to Angie. "Hey Ang, can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Sure!" Angie followed her boyfriend into the hall, "What's up?"

Ben shuffled nervously. "You know that my parents are getting a divorce, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, my mom's trying to get full custody of me."

Angie frowned. "You mean you won't live with your dad anymore?"

Ben nodded. "Ever. But of course my dad's fighting back, trying to get joint custody. I mean, in a year or so, it won't matter, but Mom might be moving to upper New York, so I wouldn't even live in the City anymore."

Angie gasped. "That's awful! Ben, you can't leave the City!"

"I know, I know! I don't want to. But get this: Dad's asking your Aunt Joanne to be his lawyer."

"You're kidding. Oh, wow. That should be interesting…"

--------------------

Ten minutes later, the group was knotted in front of the hospital doors. Benny spotted Joanne next to her wife, who was chattering animatedly to Mimi. Squeezing between Angie and Rachael, he moved next to the lawyer and tapped her on the shoulder.

She turned, looking mystified. "Hi, Benny…"

"Do you have a minute?" he asked her. She nodded and they moved a little ways away from the group.

"What is it?"

Benny stuck his hands in his pockets. "Well, Alison and I are getting a divorce." Joanne nodded, motioning him to go on. "And Alison wants full custody of Ben. Obviously, I don't want that. I would be happy with joint custody. But the thing is…I need a lawyer."

Joanne laughed. "Please tell me you're kidding."

Benny shook his head, blushing. "I'm not. I really need a good lawyer. Before, my lawyer was the Grey's, but now that I'm going _against _them in court, I'm gonna need a different one."

"You want me to be your lawyer when I'm married to the woman who hates your guts?"

"Please?" Benny pleaded, "You're adopting. Can you imagine having your kid torn away from you after sixteen years? I don't want that to happen with Ben and I. Look, I know Roger and Mark and I have had our problems, but that was a long time ago. I'm not asking for a full truce. All I need is my son."

Joanne nodded slowly. "I understand." She sighed. "Okay, I'll do it. But I have to talk to Maureen first. She'll be dead-set against it, but I think I can make her see reason. But I won't do it if she really doesn't want me to. I may not be part of whatever is between all of you guys, but I will do what my wife wants. Do you understand?"

Benny nodded eagerly. "Thank you so much. I really appreciate this, Joanne."

"Yeah, don't mention it." Joanne groaned. What had she gotten herself into?

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A/N: Review!


	5. Home

A/N: I'm sorry it's been over two months since I've updated! I just finished my second week of tenth grade, which luckily has been going really well. But after all, I did say I wasn't going to update anymore until I finished my Wicked fanfic, and that's still got several chapters left. I just sat down with a pen and paper and started writing, and it turned out to be Rent instead of Wicked. So I've decided to update.

As a further note, I HATE this chapter, because it is a major filler, so I'm sorry to all of you who were expecting some big drama. Not yet, but trust me, I do have a drama-filled plot in mind. I just have to wade my way through the introduction. If all goes according to plan, next chapter should begin the drama.

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A couple weeks went by quickly, and soon it was time for Mark to come home. Anna was very relieved and yet very bossy. When it had been her own release time, she had refused a wheelchair, opting instead for crutches. Now, however, she was obsessed with wheelchairs.

"Oh, of course the hospital will let us borrow one, but how are we going to get it upstairs? No, Joanne, how many times do I have to tell you? I know you have an elevator in your building, but Mark's told me he wants to come home to the Loft. Who can blame him? We'll make it work. After all, it's just a temporary arrangement, until he gets up on crutches. It won't be forever."

Every time Roger heard Anna say something like that, he cringed, remembering what the doctor had told him about Mark's possible permanent handicap. He still hadn't gathered the courage to break the news to his friend. When they visited, Mark looked so peaceful and happy. Over the course of his hospital stay, he'd returned to near his normal self. He filmed his drab room joyfully, referring to it as a prison, and even joked with Roger about buying a new car. Roger kept looking for the right time – it just never came.

And now it was the evening before Mark's homecoming, and Roger, Mimi, Anna, Rachael, and Angie were congregated at the Loft. Everything was ready for tomorrow – snacks were put within reach from the seat of a wheelchair, the couch was all ready for Anna to sleep on (she had decided that Mark should have his own bed for awhile), and there were even store-brought brownies in a tin.

Anna and Mimi were having a light conversation, as were Rachael and Angie, but Roger couldn't stop thinking about Mark. He glanced at Anna, who was on the couch with one arm draped casually over her crutches, and made his decision.

"Anna," he interrupted, "Could I talk to you for a sec?"

Bemused, Anna shrugged and nodded and followed Roger into the spare bedroom (Collins' old room), leaning on her crutches for support. "What's up?"

"The day after the crash, when you were still in the hospital and we were visiting, Dr. Martin told me something about Mark. Something I hated to hear, so I kept it quiet. But I think you should know before he comes home."

"What?" Now Anna looked concerned.

Roger sighed, shifting uncomfortably. "He said…that Mark might never walk again."

Anna looked very surprised and upset for a few seconds, but then she took a deep breath and shook her head disbelievingly. "I can't believe that. Mark will make it through this. He will. You'll see, in a few months he'll be acting like it never happened." She looked as though she was trying to convince herself.

Roger wasn't even close to being convinced. The last time someone told him 'You'll see', it hadn't pulled through. He had no reason to believe it would this time, except his own hopes.

"Just let me tell Mark," he said.

"You shouldn't tell him. He'll try harder if he doesn't know his odds."

"He'll try harder if he wants to prove someone wrong. He deserves to know," Roger argued, but then he decided to drop it, and looked around the room, which looked like it had just been cleaned, instead. "Anna, why'd you set up the couch? If you want Mark to have his own room, couldn't you just sleep in here?"

Now it was Anna's turn to sigh. "We're having guests. Mark's parents are coming for a week. They, uh, actually don't know about the crash. He didn't want to call them, and they aren't listed anywhere in the doctor's records, either, so they wouldn't have been notified. He doesn't even know they're coming yet…I didn't want him to worry about it. They'll be here the day after tomorrow."

Roger groaned inwardly. The senior Cohens? Joy. He was _not _looking forward to Julie Cohen's cooing over her granddaughter, sing-songing to everyone else, and taking over not only the Loft, but his and Mimi's apartment as well. Not to mention she'd overreact and baby her son when she saw him and heard about the crash. Gregory Cohen wouldn't help much, either, being blatantly embarrassing to his son and probably everyone else, too. So much for a happy homecoming.

----------------

It was eight o'clock in the morning, and Mark was waiting anxiously for the other Bohemians to pick him up from the hospital. He was really bored. He longed to be outside filming, partying with his friends at the Life, or just at home with his family. Instead, he was going through the tedious process of signing release papers, with his hand in a _bandage_, no less. Mark's only consolation was that each (pretty sloppy) signature brought him one step closer to being _out_.

There was a knock on the door. Expecting yet another nurse, Mark called, "Come in!"

It was Roger. He smiled weakly as Mark said hi, but didn't return the enthusiastic greeting.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked.

"Talk? What? Aren't you here to pick me up?" he looked over Roger's shoulder at the door, as if expecting to see the others there.

"I came a little early," Roger explained, "I need to tell you something."

"Well, okay…shoot," Mark instructed, leaning back against his pillows.

Roger took a deep breath. "The day after the crash, Dr. Martin told me…he told me that your legs were badly damaged and you might never walk again," he finished quickly, bracing himself for whatever reaction might come.

Mark's face fell. He opened his mouth, closed it, and fumbled with the bedcovers. "Oh."

Roger recognized that look immediately. It meant that Mark had already considered this possibility but had discarded it as overreacting. Now that he had been faced with the truth of it, he didn't know what to say. "'Oh'? Is that all you have to say?"

"I don't know what to say!" Mark snapped. He feel back on the bed and swallowed hard, "Could I – could I have a few minutes alone?"

Roger jumped up. "Of course. I'll just…go get some coffee or something," he lied. As soon as the door was closed behind him, he leaned against it, listening carefully.

After a moment, Mark spoke in a choked voice. "I don't know if you can hear me…or if you're even there. I don't do this a whole lot, you know. But ever since the crash, I've been thinking about life a lot differently. I'm thankful Rachael wasn't in the car when we crashed, and that you've let Anna keep her legs. But it…it would be really great if I could keep mine, too…" the voice dissolved.

Roger realized with a stab of surprise that Mark was _praying_. He had never known his friend to be religious. And Mark was crying, too. Roger mentally whacked himself upside the head for not telling Mark sooner – for telling him at all. Anna had been right.

--------------------

Inside the room, Mark felt confused and sad and terrified.

_How could this happen to me?_ he wondered, _I need my legs to get around. I _have _to walk again. It can't be like this…_He struggled to get ahold of himself, and he managed to hold back tears, but the fear would not release him.

Just then, there was a knock on the door and it opened. Roger, Anna, Maureen, and Mimi came in.

"Hey," Mark tried to act normal, but they all looked concerned.

"Mark, you're trembling. Are you okay?" Maureen asked seriously.

"Of course. I'm fine. What took you so long?" he tried to smile jokingly.

"Silly. We're only five minutes late," Anna told him, "Remember, we had to get the kids off to school."

"And I was on my way to work when I got a call saying the heater was broken at the studio, so I backtracked and came here instead," Mimi explained, "That might have added a few minutes."

"Are you ready to go?" Maureen asked.

"Are you kidding?" Mark snorted.

--------------------

Forty minutes later, the five of them stood looking up the stairs of the Loft. Well, actually, Mark was sitting in his wheelchair. It had been quite an ordeal to get home. Mimi borrowed a van from one of her old Catscratch Club friends, and they had finally managed to lift Mark into a seat and put the wheelchair in the trunk with Maureen holding it steady the whole way home. Now they were faced with getting Mark up the stairs.

"Are you sure you don't want to just come stay with Pookie and I?" Maureen asked, glancing skeptically upward.

"Yes," Mark said.

"Besides, Mark's parents are coming tomorrow," Anna blurted suddenly. She blushed as she realized that she hadn't told Mark yet.

"What?!" Mark asked, his eyes widening, "Really? Why didn't you tell me?" Anna shrugged, with a small embarrassed smile. Mark groaned. "Great…"

"Can we leave this discussion 'til later?" Maureen asked, "I'm meeting Joanne for brunch at ten, and we still gotta get Mark to the top."

They all turned once more to the stairs. Finally, Roger broke the baffled silence.

"Well, I think maybe I can carry Mark up the stairs, if Maureen and Mimi can get the wheelchair…"

"Then who's going to help Anna?" Mimi asked, "She's on crutches, she needs support."

"We should have thought of this earlier, made a plan," Maureen said.

"I'll be fine," Anna said, "Go ahead with Roger's plan. I'll just go slowly and carefully. You guys aren't going to be going any faster than I will be, with what you're carrying."

What she said was true, so they put the plan into action. Roger carefully lifted Mark out of the wheelchair. The filmmaker grunted in pain once and gritted his teeth, but didn't complain. Mimi and Maureen lifted the wheelchair, wincing at the weight.

"Why do – hospital wheelchairs – have to be so – heavy?" Mimi wheezed as she and Maureen staggered toward the stairs.

No one answered the rhetorical question.

----------------------

Finally, a good fifteen minutes later, they all stood on the landing in front of the Loft door, panting, except for Anna and Mark. Roger put Mark back in the wheelchair, and he rolled himself inside his apartment. The rest of them followed, and Anna immediately began showing Mark where everything was so he could reach it himself.

Mark was only half-listening. For the first time since he'd heard it, Roger's grim announcement fled from his head and was replaced by relief. At last, he was home.

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A/N: So...boring, right? Well, please review anyways...the more you review, the bigger my incentive to write the next chapter quickly. And I promise that after my Wicked fic is done, I will be updating this much more often.


	6. Hey, Mom

A/N: I am SO SORRY that I haven't updated in three months! I feel really bad. Things have been hectic, but on the up-side, I did finally finish my Wicked fic. So currently this fanfic is the only one I have in-progress, which should lead to much faster updates...The drama starts, just barely, in this chapter.

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The next morning, Saturday, Mark woke up early. His first instinct was to get up to get a cup of coffee, but instantly afterwards, he remembered his condition and the fact that he really couldn't get himself into his wheelchair very well. So he lay back against the pillows instead and allowed his mind to roam.

His parents were coming. Mark inwardly cringed when he thought about how they would react upon seeing him so beat up. His mother in particular had always been highly overprotective of her son, calling him 'Marky-poo' even into his adult years, and babying him far more than she had ever babied his sister Cindy, four years his elder. Of course, Mark knew a lot of it was his own fault – he had been a shy, quiet, kid, and he'd never given his parents any reason to believe he didn't want or need their help. Their attitude toward him now was his punishment.

Footsteps pulled the filmmaker back into the present.

"Mark? Honey, are you awake?" Anna asked gently as she entered the room in her bathrobe, leaning on her crutch for support.

"Yeah, I'm up," Mark said, raising his head, "Figuratively speaking, at least. Literally, I'm kind of trapped on the couch."

Anna smiled. "Here, let me help you." She leaned her crutch against a table, wheeling Mark's wheelchair to a spot right in front of the couch. Then she helped her husband lift himself gently off the couch into the chair. Mark winced.

"Ouch."

"You okay?" Anna asked concernedly, taking Mark's former seat on the couch.

"It just…hurts," Mark explained awkwardly, not meeting his wife's eyes.

"Mark, let's talk. Can we talk? We haven't had a real chance, just the two of us, since the crash."

"We can talk," Mark allowed, "What do you want to talk about?"

"The crash. You." Anna said quietly, laying a hand on his knee, "I know what you did when the semi hit."

"Oh, that," Mark waved a hand and tried not to blush. "You're my wife. What was I supposed to do? It was nothing."

"It was everything," Anna disagreed.

Mark's cheeks went red. "Yeah?" he mumbled.

"Yeah." Anna confirmed, smiling and squeezing her spouse's hand. Then she turned solemn. "Sweetie…I know Roger told you what the doctor said about your legs. I can tell." Mark looked away. Anna pressed on. "I want to let you know that I believe you will get through this. I believe you will walk again."

Mark looked up. "Really?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes. Don't give up hope, hon. We can do this. I'll be right here with you the whole time."

Mark smiled gratefully, but before he could respond there was a knock on the Loft door. The two looked at each other in alarm.

"My parents? Already?" Mark wondered.

But the door opened to reveal Roger and Mimi instead.

"Good morning!" Mimi chimed brightly, skipping to the couch and hugging Anna and then Mark.

"Um…hi?" Anna asked tentatively, watching as her friend bounced into the kitchen to make coffee.

Roger shook his head, rolling his eyes. "She's been like this all morning, and she won't tell me why."

"I'll tell you now that Mark and Anna can hear, too," Mimi said, turning the coffeemaker on and leaping into the old armchair.

"So, what's up?" Mark asked.

Mimi straightened, her eyes shining. "Okay. You know how the Tompkins Performing Arts Theatre chooses a dance studio every year to perform the ballet 'Swan Lake' in April?" When she received three nods, she went on, "Well, this year – they chose us!"

Anna squealed and hugged the dancer tightly. "Oh, congratulations, Meems!" she exclaimed, "I'm so happy for you!"

Roger kissed his wife. Mark smiled. He didn't know much about dance, but he did know enough to understand it was an honor to be chosen for 'Swan Lake', and that it was something Mimi had wanted ever since she'd opened the studio.

"Congrats, Mimi," he said, smiling.

"Thanks!" Mimi babbled on for a while before they remembered the coffee, and they had just about finished breakfast when the phone rang.

As usual, no one moved to pick it up.

"_Speak!_" the message, unchanged all these years later, rang through the room.

"_Ma-ark! Honey, it's Mom! Pick up the phone! Oh never mind, don't bother, I know you won't anyway. Just wanted to let you know that your father and I are going to be there in about a half hour. We can't wait to see our Marky-poo!_" Click.

Mark's cheeks glowed, and he buried his face in his hands. Roger also put his face in his hands, but his shoulders were shaking with laughter.

"Oh, _Marky-poo_!" Mimi sang, mimicking the message, "You'd better get ready! They can't wait to seeeee you!"

"Shut up," Mark mumbled to his hands. But he agreed that he had to get ready, so he and Anna disappeared into their bedroom to get dressed. Meanwhile, Mimi woke Rachael up and told her that her grandparents would be arriving soon. Rachael was less than pleased, but grudgingly got dressed and ate some breakfast. Even Angie, discovering her parents' absence in the apartment, stumbled upstairs. Therefore, when the dreaded knock on the door came, all the Cohens and Davises were congregated in the living room.

"Maybe I should hide. Break it to them gently." Mark suggested, paling.

Anna shook her head. "There's no time for that. But I'll answer the door and do my best…" And, leaving her crutch behind, she went slowly to the door and pulled it open.

"Anna! Darling, how are you?" Julie Cohen chirped, pulling her daughter-in-law in for a tight hug.

"I'm doing fine, Mom. It's good to see you again. How long has it been?" Anna asked, trying to block Julie's view of the rest of the room.

"Oh, about three years, dear, but who's counting? The time flies by, doesn't it? Where is that son of mine? And Rachael, where is she?"

"Right here, Grandma," Rachael said, pushing her way in and hugging her grandmother.

"Rachael! You've gotten so big! How old are you now? Thirteen?"

"I'm sixteen, Grandma."

"Sixteen? Goodness!" Julie looked like she might launch into a long monologue, but her husband, Gregory, suddenly appeared, mounting the last set of stairs behind his wife and breathing heavily.

"Julie, let the poor girls breathe!" He good-naturedly hugged Anna and Rachael, then said, "Well, are you going to let us in the apartment, or keep us out here?"

"Oh, sorry, of course you can come in. But there's something I need to tell you first…"

"Honey, it's okay!" Mark called from inside, "They might as well see for themselves."

"See _what_, exactly?" Julie asked suspiciously. Anna stepped aside to reveal Mark in his wheelchair, with the Davises hovering at the side.

"Mark?! My baby!" Julie rushed over to her son, taking in his injuries with horror. "What _happened_?"

"We were in a bad car crash a couple weeks ago," Mark explained, "Mom, I'm _fine_," he insisted as his mother began to fawn over him.

"Tell us about this car crash, son," Gregory instructed.

Mark quickly told about the crash and everything that had happened afterward. "…So you see, I'm perfectly okay. We both are."

"You don't look okay to me! Why didn't you call your father and me right away? We would have come down to help!"

"Really, Julie, everything's okay. They were both doing so well, we didn't see a reason to worry you," Roger, who with Mimi and Angie had been skulking to the side, broke in.

Julie blinked as if she hadn't realized until then that were three more people in the room.

"Roger!" she exclaimed, hurrying over and engulfing the musician in a warm hug, "I didn't see you there! Tell me, dear, since my son seems so unwilling, is there anything else about this my husband and I should know? Any hospital bills, or…permanent disabilities?"

Roger glanced at Mark, who was shaking his head slightly from side to side. He smiled down at the older woman. "No, that's it. Nothing else."

Julie didn't look as if she entirely believed him, but she turned away to her husband. "Gregory, I think you'd better run out to the car and get our bags. Roger will help you. We were thinking about staying in a hotel room instead of here, because I know it can get rather crammed," she told Anna, "But now I see we're simply going to have to make do."

Gregory and Roger exited the Loft, and Julie turned to her granddaughter. "Rachael, would you and your friend – it's Angela, isn't it dear? – get me some more blankets from the closet? It's freezing in here. If the heater is broken, we'll simply _have_ to get a repairman." When the teenagers had disappeared down the hall, she turned to Mimi. "Mary, would you run down to the corner grocery for me and get some good food? I don't even have to look in the refrigerator to know all it contains is stale bread and a few moldy oranges."

"It's Mimi," Mimi said quietly. It was well known that Julie was not overly fond of the dancer, especially after finding out that she had formerly been a stripper at a raunchy nightclub. Mark's mother had known Roger since he and Mark had been best friends back in school, so she wholly loved Roger and his daughter, but she had never quite approved of Mimi.

"Of course it is. Here, take this money, and hurry back." Julie said distractedly.

"I'll go help you," Anna began, standing, but the senior Cohen clucked disapprovingly and pushed Anna back down.

"Oh no, you won't. You sit right there, dear. You're on crutches; the least you can do is sit and relax for awhile. Let me take care of things for now. Don't worry about a thing."

Anna shrugged at Mimi, who grimaced and slipped out the door.

"This should be fun…" Mark murmured to his wife when his mother had temporarily left the room. Anna only smiled.

--

Mimi decided to detour into her apartment to get a warmer coat before leaving the building. She was just on her way out the door again when a sharp knock startled her. Opening the door cautiously, she saw to her surprise a gangly young woman dressed in ripped jeans, a wild, multi-colored sweater, and black and white beat-up Converses. The girl had darkish skin, a bit darker than Mimi's own, but lighter than Collins' had been and certainly lighter than Benny's. She had big, dark eyes, and her black hair was long and in dreadlocks.

"Can I help you?" Mimi asked politely, taking in the girl's bizarre appearance.

"I hope so. Are you Mimi Marquez?"

Mimi frowned. "That was my maiden name, yes."

The girl bit her lip. "I'm Adrienne. And I think I'm your daughter."

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A/N: Ooooh...cliffie! Review!

And if you didn't notice, the title of this chapter has a double meaning.


	7. You Look Familiar

A/N: See, I've already started updating more often! If I can, I'll update one more time before Christmas Break, but no promises. School speeds up right before then, and I may not have the energy. This chapter picks up right where the other one left off, and is entirely devoted to Mimi and Adrienne.

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"Excuse me?" Mimi blinked, sure she must have heard the girl wrong.

"I know it sounds crazy, but please listen. This is what I know – over twenty-one years ago, when I was only a few days old, my parents took me to an orphanage. They told one of the caretakers there that there was simply no way they could keep me, and they just wanted me to be taken care of. They also requested that I never be told who my parents were for reasons they considered too private to confess. All I was told was that my mother was a very young Latina and my father was African-American."

Mimi stood still, her emotions raging. Her mind flashed back to nearly twenty-two years ago…

"_Benny…I'm pregnant," she whispered into her lover's chest, tears trickling down her cheeks._

_Benny tensed, and then pushed Mimi away gently. "Mine?" She nodded. He sighed, and pulled her back to him, stroking her hair._

_They'd considered abortion. But Mimi was only seventeen, and it was too dangerous. Keeping the baby was entirely out of the question for more than one reason. Abandoning it to die was unacceptable, too. So adoption was the only way to go._

_A few days after their daughter was born, Mimi and Benny took it to the orphanage. A kind young woman helped them fill out some forms, then asked if there were any special instructions for the as-yet unnamed little girl._

"_Just – just don't ever tell her who we are. I don't want her to be ashamed of me," Mimi whispered, looking ashamed of herself._

_Then they abandoned the child. They never heard any more about her – not her name, not her adoptive parents. They didn't want to know. Life went on; Benny married, Mimi met Roger. Years passed. The fact that there was a kid out there with Mimi and Benny's combined DNA was all but forgotten._

But here she was.

"Are…are you sure I'm your mother?" Mimi asked the young woman, holding her breath, unable to tear her eyes away from the face that she was now comparing to her own. The skin color was a combination of Latina and African-American. Her nose and chin and face shape were Benny's. But those eyes…they were undoubtedly Mimi's.

Adrienne looked uncomfortable. She wouldn't meet Mimi's eyes. "Well…I was hoping you could tell me that," she said awkwardly.

Mimi sighed, and nodded. "All right. Come in." She held the door open while the other woman passed through, then shut it and sat on a chair, motioning Adrienne to the couch. Then she took a deep breath.

"The truth is, Adrienne, I do believe you are my daughter. You look an awful lot like your father, and there's some of me in you, too. What I'd like to know is how you found out."

Hope had flashed through Adrienne's eyes at Mimi's prediction, but she blushed and looked embarrassed at the accusation.

"Well…" she said to the floor, "I know I shouldn't have…but I wanted answers, and no one would tell me anything. So I broke into the Head's office during lunchtime, and I found my file. It told me my parent's names, and that they had requested I not be told the truth. It was enough for me. I started looking for you right away."

Mimi was confused. "Did you go back to the orphanage to look without your adoptive family's knowledge?"

Adrienne flushed bright red. "I…uh…was never adopted," she whispered.

Mimi felt a pang of sorrow. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

The girl looked up, blinking back tears. "When I turned eighteen, I got kicked out of the orphanage. I was the oldest there by far, and I helped look after the younger kids, but every orphanage in New York is overcrowded, and they couldn't afford to take care of an adult. So I left and got a job. About three months ago, I went back and found out who my parents were. I don't know why I never did that before. Maybe because I was angry at you for leaving me. Maybe I did it when I did because someone at work said I reminded them of someone else who used to work there, and that got me thinking of my mother."

"Where do you work?" Mimi asked.

Adrienne met her gaze. "The Catscratch Club," she admitted, as if daring her mother to argue.

But Mimi didn't. "I worked there for awhile, when I was just a little younger than you," she said.

"So…how about you?" Adrienne asked, "Did you…did you marry my father?" she asked hopefully.

Mimi laughed wryly. "No, I'm afraid not. We were only together for a little while. After we left you at the orphanage, we ended our affair. He got married, has a teenage son. Actually, he's in the middle of a nasty divorce right now."

"Oh. And you?"

"I got married, too, a few years later. His name is Roger. He's a musician."

"And you paint," Adrienne said, noticing a half-finished portrait on the table.

"No, that's my daughter, Angie. It's a self-portrait."

Adrienne looked sad. "I thought it was you."

"She looks a lot like me," Mimi said, noticing the hurt expression on Adrienne's face. "I'm sorry," she said quickly, "I didn't think…"

"It's okay," Adrienne whispered, "She's very lucky."

Mimi mentally slapped herself. What was she thinking, talking about Angie when this girl, too, was her daughter, but hadn't gotten to grow up with her mother?

"Adrienne, listen, I – I don't want to say to make this better," Mimi said, "I've always felt guilty for leaving you at the orphanage-"

"-but you have a different life now," Adrienne finished.

"That wasn't what I was going to say."

"It's okay," Adrienne stood. "I didn't come here expecting you to treat me as a daughter or anything. I just wanted you to know that I know."

Mimi sat there for a moment, trying to figure out if that was meant as an insult. Then she jumped up and followed her elder daughter.

"Adrienne – wait. You didn't let me finish. I'm thrilled – _thrilled­ – _to know you're alive and okay. I'm glad you found me, because I could never had found you. I don't want you to just step out of my life forever. I just – I didn't expect to ever meet you."

"Tell me more about yourself. What do you do?" Adrienne asked, pausing in the doorway.

"I have a dance studio, which I love. This year, we've been chosen to perform 'Swan Lake' at the Tompkins Center for the Performing Arts. I love to dance – it's the only way I could make money when I first came to the City."

"I love to dance, too," Adrienne murmured, "If you can call what we do at the Club dancing."

"That's where I got started," Mimi said, "I know that life."

"What about your husband?"

"Roger plays guitar. He works with one of our friends, writing music for local movies. He wants to start up a band, eventually."

"And your daughter – does she dance, too?"

Mimi nodded. "Angie dances, but she enjoys painting more." She said this delicately, because she wasn't sure how Adrienne felt about talking about Angie.

Adrienne nodded. "She's got a knack for it," she said, glancing back at the painting on the table, "One of the kids I knew back at the orphanage, just a little eleven-year-old – he could paint like no one I'd ever seen. He got adopted. I was thirteen then."

Mimi's beeper sounded. She turned it off and unscrewed her bottle of AZT, popping one of the little pills into her mouth.

"Sorry," she apologized, "I forgot to tell you – I'm HIV-positive."

But Adrienne was digging in her purse, and she too extracted a bottle of the pills. Without looking at Mimi, she took one and replaced the container. "Me too." She said quietly.

Mimi gaped. "But – how? I wasn't HIV-positive when I had you!"

Adrienne shook her head. "It's my own fault. Two years ago, I got drunk and went home with a guy from the club. He had AIDS, but I didn't know until too late."

"I'm sorry," Mimi whispered, putting a hand on her daughter's arm. Adrienne twitched but didn't pull away. "I lost two of my best friends to AIDS," Mimi said, "And my husband has it, too. Maybe sometime I'll tell you about them. And I hate to say this, but I need to go. You can stay, or-"

"No, I have to go, too." Adrienne said suddenly, glancing at her watch, "I have a couple things to do before work." She looked up at her mother. "It's been nice talking to you, Mimi."

"You too," Mimi said, "I really want to talk some more, soon. When do you get off at the club tonight?"

Adrienne thought for a minute. "Eleven," she said finally, "But…I don't know if I want you to…"

"See you like that? Honey, I lived that life for a long time. I probably still know most of the people there. You don't have to be embarrassed."

"Okay. I'll see you tonight, then. Bye, Mimi." Adrienne said.

Mimi stepped out the door after her. "Bye. And you know, Adrienne – you can call me Mom…when you're ready."

Adrienne smiled slightly. "When I'm ready, I'd like that." And she disappeared down the stairs, leaving Mimi alone in the hall to collect her thoughts.

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A/N: Okay, I know that in the musical, Mimi and Benny's affair was three months before the events that first Christmas, and in the movie it was three years. I just picked a time in the middle, about two years before RENT took place, and made that the time. Review?


	8. Coincidence?

A/N: Sorry I had to repost this chapter! I decided I was making it a little TOO much, and with my friend's advice, I changed some things. If you read the first update of the chapter, you'll know what. If not, never mind, and enjoy!

I'd like to clear something up that got addressed in a review for the last chapter, regarding Adrienne's age. I had to go back to 'Viva La Vie Boheme' and change some time issues there, because I really messed it up. I had to make the beginning of that fic eighteen years after the conclusion of Rent. That means at this point, it's been twenty years since the first Christmas in Rent. Therefore, Adrienne would be about twenty-one now. Thanks, renthead07!

Enjoy this MoJo chapter!

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"Maureen, are you ready to go?" Joanne called down the hallway, "We're going to miss our appointment if we don't leave now!"

"Coming!" Maureen called back. A moment later she appeared, unusually toned down in jeans and a fleece jacket.

Joanne blinked. "Whoa! What happened to you?"

Maureen grabbed her coat and purse and playfully smacked her wife's arm. "Ha ha, very funny. I just want our daughter to get a good first look at her new mommy."

"That, and you want to show a good face to the people at the orphanage. You want them to get the right impression – you're scared." Joanne smirked.

"And you're not?" Maureen asked incredulously. "You're not afraid that they won't let us adopt because we're lesbians?"

"I'm a lawyer," Joanne reminded her, "They can't legally stop us. I have a paying job, we have a big enough apartment, and we even have a room all ready."

"True," Maureen conceded, "I guess I'm just nervous. I've always fantasized about having a little girl of my own. But what if we're not ready? What if she doesn't like us? What if…"

Maureen's long list of 'What if's' took them down to the car and halfway to the orphanage. Then Joanne finally sighed and interrupted.

"Honeybear – no day but today."

And Maureen shut up.

--

The orphanage looked nice enough from the outside, but neither Joanne nor Maureen was paying much attention to that. By now, even Joanne was getting nervous.

"You ready?" she asked in a whisper.

"Sure," Maureen replied in an equally hushed voice.

Interlocking fingers, they both took deep breaths and went in. A young woman sitting at the receptionist's desk looked up and bestowed a too-bright smile upon them, full of too-perfect teeth.

"Can I help you?" she asked in a cool tone.

"Yes. I'm Joanne Jefferson and this is Maureen Johnson. We have an appointment and tour with a Janice Wertley?" Joanne inquired.

"Of course." The woman picked up a phone, pressed a few buttons and said, "Mrs. Wertley, a Mrs. Jefferson is asking for you...Of course." She hung up. "Mrs. Wertley will be out in just a few minutes. Please take a seat while you wait." And she dismissed them, fixing her eyes on the computer screen once more.

Joanne shrugged at Maureen and they sat on two of the hard plastic chairs. Barely a minute later, a heavyset middle-aged woman bustled out from a door behind the desk. She approached the couple, a cautious smile on her face.

"You must be Joanne Jefferson," she greeted, shaking Joanne's hand, "It was you I spoke to over the phone. And this would be…?"

"Maureen Johnson," Maureen extended her hand, "I'm Joanne's wife."

Mrs. Wertley blanched as if someone had said a dirty word. "Yes…I remember," she said quietly. "Well, if you'll follow me to my office, I'll go over the basic requirements of the adoption process."

Mrs. Wertley's office proved spacious enough. She sat behind her desk, waving Joanne and Maureen to opposite chairs.

"Now, I hope you understand you won't be able to take your child home today," she said, shuffling through some papers on her desk before pulling out an application and pushing it across the desk to Joanne along with a pen. "You'll need to fill this out first, and an inquiry will have to be made. We have to be sure you can support the child, that you have the kind of…lifestyle…good for bringing a child up in…" She lingered on the word 'lifestyle' as if she seriously doubted any child could effectively grow up with two mothers.

Maureen's grip tightened on Joanne's hand, and she clenched her jaw angrily.

Joanne gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Of course," she said, "I'm a lawyer, Mrs. Wertley, so you understand I know how these things go."

"Oh." The older lady seemed disappointed, as if she realized it would be harder to refuse the couple an adoption if they knew the rules, "Well, then you'll need to-"

"I don't mean to be rude," Joanne interrupted in a sweet voice, "But wouldn't it make more sense if Maureen and I had a look at the children in the center first? We should know if we're interested in adopting a child here before we go into the particulars, shouldn't we?"

The corners of Maureen's mouth twitched. _Go Jo!_ She inwardly congratulated her partner.

Mrs. Wertley flushed, but she had to consent. "Perhaps you're right. We'll come back after you've visited with the children, shall we? If you'll follow me…" She led the way out of her office and through a few hallways where children's laughter could be heard through the walls. She stopped before a door with a sign reading 'Playroom, 2-5' on it.

"This is where the children from ages two to five play at this time of the day." She explained, "I'm right in recalling that you wanted a girl from ages three to six, correct?"

"Yes," Joanne affirmed, taking Maureen's hand in anticipation.

"I'll let the two of you go in and spend some time with the children. If you need me, there's a phone on the wall by the door. Stacy and Missy, two of our caregivers, are with the children now. They'll tell you anything you need to know." And she pulled the door open.

Both Joanne and Maureen gasped as they let the door shut with a click behind them. Little kids were everywhere, playing blocks together, making puzzles, playing with dolls…a few had books and were pretending to read. Everywhere there was giggling and a meaningless chatter.

"They're so adorable!" Maureen cooed, clutching Joanne's arm in excitement.

A smiling young woman with dark hair approached them. "Hi. I'm Missy, and that blondie over there is Stacy. Can I help you with anything? What age of child do you want to adopt?"

As Joanne talked with Missy, Maureen wandered around the room, watching the children play. Some of them looked up when Maureen passed, fingers stuck in their mouths, eyes wide. Maureen's heart broke as she watched them all play. How many of these children were infected with AIDS? How many of them had been abused or neglected? Maureen wished she could adopt them all.

One child in particular caught her eye. It was a little girl, about two or three, sitting alone with a book. She had dark curls, and as Maureen got closer, looked up to reveal engaging brown eyes.

Maureen sat cross-legged in front of her on the floor.

"Hi," she said.

The girl didn't answer, just stared with those big eyes.

"What's your name?" she tried again. More staring. "I'm Maureen. How old are you?"

The little girl thought for a minute, and then held up two fingers.

"You're two?" Maureen asked. When she received a nod, she said, "That's a great age. What book are you reading?"

It was Peter Rabbit.

"I love that story," Maureen said. She made bunny ears with her fingers and made them jump around everywhere. "Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail…" she sang.

The little girl offered a small smile.

"Maureen, honey, who's this?" Joanne asked, appearing beside her wife. "Hey, sweetie," she said to the child, taking a seat beside Maureen. "What's your name?"

"I've already tried that," Maureen said, "She won't answer."

"Oh. Well, I'm Joanne," Joanne said gently.

"I see you've met our little angel," Missy smiled, leaning over the little girl.

"She certainly is sweet." Maureen said. "What's her name?"

"Her name is Katharine, or Kate for short. We call her our little angel because she's arguably the sweetest kid in the whole center."

Maureen felt drawn to Kate. She didn't know why, but she felt as though the little girl was just the right daughter for her and Joanne, without even having to talk with any of the other children.

Joanne sensed this. "Maybe we should look around a little longer," she whispered, "Kate is extremely cute, but she's the first we've met."

"I think she's the one!" Maureen hissed back, "It feels right." Then she turned to Missy. "Could we find out more about her?"

"Of course." Missy went over to a cabinet against the wall. She pulled out a folder and searched through it before pulling out a sheet of paper and returning.

"We keep copies of the children's files in most of the rooms, in case anyone wants to know anything right away," she explained, "Here's Kate's."

Joanne's eyes roamed the room as Maureen eagerly read the paper. Halfway down, her jaw dropped.

"Joanne, you've got to see this!" she exclaimed, shoving the paper at the lawyer.

"What? Maureen, you look as though you've seen a ghost!" Joanne obediently began to read the paper. Then her jaw dropped, too.

"Still think we should keep looking?" Maureen asked.

Joanne stared at the paper, unable to believe her eyes. Underneath the date of birth, it read 'October 31st'. And the biological parents' surname was 'Collins'.

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A/N: So, for those of you who read the first update, do you like this better? I hope so. For those of you who are wondering what I'm talking about, Kate's name at first was Angel. But I decided it was too cliche.

Review!


	9. Just Another Day

A/N: This will probably be the last chapter until after Christmas Break. Of course, I said that two chapters ago, too, so I could be wrong! This chapter starts right where the last one left off. Some Mark/Maureen friendship in the second half!

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Joanne looked up from the paper at the little girl in front of her. Then she turned to Maureen. "Coincidence?" she asked weakly.

Maureen smiled. "Don't believe in 'em. Jo, this kid was meant for us! Come on, Pookie – '_Collins'_?"

"You don't – you don't think that Kate was actually Collins' daughter, do you?"

Maureen snorted. "No! Joanne, Collins was my best friend, I knew everything about him. _And _he was gay. This says 'Biological Parents'. Besides, Col's first name wasn't 'Robert'. And he wasn't married to a 'Jean'. This is New York City – there's bound to be tons of Collins."

"True…" Joanne looked up at Missy, who was watching them curiously, "Did you see Kate's parents when they brought her in?"

Missy shook her head. "I wasn't here – but Stacy was." She turned to the corner where Stacy was playing with a few of the older girls and boys. "Stacy, we need you for a sec!"

Stacy came over. She looked like a real-life Barbie; blonde hair, blue eyes, too-good-to-be-true figure. "What's up?"

"We might be interested in adopting Kate, and we need some more information on her," Joanne explained, "We're told you were here when she was brought in."

"Sure was," Stacy said, "Let's see…" her eyes scanned Kate's file. She pointed to the date that Kate came to the orphanage. "I remember. It was November 3rd, a little over two years ago – Kate was only four days old. Her parents were young – said they wanted to keep her, but couldn't. The woman was crying."

"What did the parents look like?" Maureen asked.

Stacy wrinkled her nose. "I don't really remember. I do remember that even as a tiny baby, I thought Kate looked like her mom. They were both white, if that helps."

"See?" Maureen said triumphantly to Joanne, "I told you. There's no way Collins would keep this from us. But that still doesn't mean it was a coincidence. What if Angel and Collins sort of…led us to her? What if this is a sign from them? I mean, she was born on Halloween, the same date Angel was buried, and her parents have, or had, Collins' last name. Too much to be a total coincidence. Besides, I have a feeling this is right! And I don't get those feelings often."

Joanne was starting to agree. Despite her usual disdain for "intuitive feelings", she, too, felt like Kate was supposed to be theirs. She smiled and knelt down next to the child. "Kate – how would you like to come home with Auntie Maureen and Auntie Joanne?" she asked sweetly.

Kate cracked a real smile for the first time, and spoke. "Moo-Moo," she said softly.

Maureen laughed and swept Kate into her arms. "That's right – Auntie Moo-Moo and Auntie Jo-Jo!"

The little girl clapped her hands and squealed with delight.

Joanne turned to Missy and Stacy. "I guess that's a 'yes'."

--

"Mom, for the last time, Anna and I don't need your help!" Mark exclaimed. "We're perfectly capable of handling this ourselves!"

Julie ignored her son as she continued to fix the chicken salad sandwiches for lunch.

Mark shared a frustrated look with Roger, who was sitting on the windowseat with his guitar. Mimi, back from her errand, perched beside him. She'd been unusually quiet all afternoon, and Mark didn't think it was because of his mother's occasional cool comments directed at her. Anna was taking a nap, and Rachael and Angie were "hiding" in Rachael's bedroom. Gregory Cohen was sitting in an armchair, reading a book and seemingly oblivious to the stress in the room.

"Mom…" Mark moaned, knowing he sounded like a whiny kid.

Julie glanced up crossly. "Mark, I don't understand you! You were just in a serious car wreck. Your father and I are here and ready to help – and all you can do is complain! Let me handle things, at least for a few days."

Mark sighed, but he sat back in his wheelchair and pressed his lips together.

The tense silence was broken by the Loft door sliding open with a loud clang. Everyone jumped, and heads swiveled to see who it was. Maureen bounded into the Loft, Joanne hanging onto her arm. For once, though, Joanne didn't seem to mind being dragged along, as she was beaming just as much as Maureen and actually seemed to be…skipping?

"We did it!" Maureen sang, grabbing Mimi and twirling her around in jubilation.

"Did what?" Mimi asked, tripping over her own feet and falling into Roger's lap.

"We-"

But Mrs. Cohen interrupted, bustling over from the kitchenette and wrapping Maureen in a hug. "Maureen, sweetie! It's so nice to see you again!"

Maureen looked dazed. "Huh? Oh, Julie, hey!" She patted the other woman on the back, looking a bit put-out that her big entrance didn't lead directly to her good news.

"Joanne," Julie said cordially, greeting the lawyer with a nod.

"Julie," Joanne replied.

Julie, much like Maureen's parents, had always cherished the idea of Maureen and Mark getting back together. But unlike the Johnsons, the Cohens accepted events as they happened, and accepted that Maureen's wedding with Joanne destroyed that possibility forever. They were on good terms with Joanne, but they had always thought she was a bit too serious, and kept their distance.

"Maureen, Joanne," Gregory said, awarding them each a handshake.

"_Now _can we tell our news?" pleaded Maureen, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.

"Not yet," Anna said, emerging into the main room with her crutch, "You're loud enough to wake the dead, Mo." Rachael and Angie followed her, helping her onto the couch, "Okay, now go ahead."

Maureen sighed dramatically. "Well, now that everyone is _finally _here, Joanne and I have some big news to share." She took Joanne's hand. "We've officially-"

"-adopted a little girl!" Joanne finished, squealing in a most un-Joanne-like way.

"Joanne!" Maureen complained, but no one heard her because a general cheer had sprung up, and people were rushing forward to congratulate the couple.

"What does she look like?"

"What's her name?"

"How old is she?"

While Joanne fielded the questions (leaving out all the Collins and Angel information), Maureen crept over to Mark, who was sitting in his wheelchair, unable to join in the throng.

"Hey, Marky," she said softly, sitting on a chair beside him.

"Congratulations, Maureen," he said, grinning, "I pity the kid that grows up with you as a mother." Maureen slapped him lightly on the arm, and he laughed. "No, seriously, you'll be great. I know you will."

"You're not…upset, are you?" Maureen asked softly.

Mark looked baffled. "Upset? No, why? I think it's great that you're taking the next step in your family. It's about time." He sighed. "Maureen, what you and I had…was never meant to last. You and Joanne are perfect for each other. It's been a long time…I have a family that I'm happy with, and I love them more than anything. I still love you. But like a sister."

Maureen smiled and kissed Mark on the cheek. "Well, you better get ready to help raise this little girl, because you're going to be her godfather."

"You mean it?" Mark asked.

"Duh! Joanne agrees. Who could be better? I'm sure Kate will love her Uncle Marky."

"Maureen!" Joanne suddenly called, "We've got to go, or we'll be late meeting my parents!"

Maureen jumped up. "Coming, Pookie! Bye everyone!" And she and Joanne bolted out the door as suddenly as they'd come in.

Roger suddenly leapt up, too, glancing at his watch. "Mimi, I almost forgot! My auditions!"

Mimi started. "We'd better go," she said, grabbing her coat, "Roger's auditioning band members today! See you all later! Angie, be good for Anna and Mark!"

The Davis parents left the Loft quickly.

Julie turned to her son, bemused. "Is it always this crazy here?"

Mark laughed. "Pretty much."

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A/N: Review!


	10. Do You Go to the Catscratch Club?

A/N: Hi! Sorry for the month-long wait. End of the semester sucks. But it's over now, yay! So I now present the tenth chapter. Another Mimi/Adrienne chapter. I'm pretty sure the next one will have Joanne talking to Benny about the divorce, but you never know.

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Mimi stood in front of the glowing neon words. The Catscratch Club. It had been a long time. Mimi wasn't sure exactly how many years, but she had not returned to her job after marrying Roger, and she was pretty sure she'd never even visited. As Roger was fond of reminding her, they were above that kind of living now.

It was different to go in the front door, instead of the alley entrance to the dressing rooms. For half a second, Mimi thought about just creeping in that way. If anyone saw her, someone would surely recognize her. But then they might think that after nearly twenty years, she was coming back to work. Roger was right. She didn't belong backstage anymore, at least not at the Club. She was a patron, and would enter through the front doors. Which she quickly did, before she could back out.

As usual, the smoky room was packed, and stunk of smoke, alcohol, and sickly sweet perfume. Waitresses balancing trays scurried every which way, bearing drinks and disappearing into the back rooms. One of them hurried up to Mimi, her fiery red hair lying lank across her flushed face.

"Hi. Party of one? Just gimme a minute, and I'll find you a place." Distractedly, the woman swept a few glasses off a nearby table into a brown plastic tub.

"Jessie?" Mimi asked incredulously, recognition filling her face.

Jessie looked up, shocked. "_Mimi?_" she exclaimed suddenly. She let the tub fall on the table, flinging her arms around her old friend. "Hey! Wow, it's been what…fifteen, sixteen years?"

Mimi laughed. "About nineteen, actually."

"That long?" Jessie stepped back to get a better look. "You don't look a day over twenty, Mimi."

"I'm thirty-nine," Mimi confessed.

"Well, I'm almost forty-seven, so that ain't nothing to be ashamed of," Jessie shook her head wonderingly. "Thirty-nine…wow."

Mimi smiled. Jessie had been her first friend at the Club when she'd started at sixteen. A young, gorgeous, twenty-four year old, Jessie was the lead dancer until she was promoted to assistant manger. Mimi, the best dancer despite her youth, had been boosted up to the top. Jessie had taken a liking to Mimi after only a few days. Three-and-a-half years later, the year when Mimi quit, that relationship had cemented into an easy friendship.

"You don't look so bad yourself," Mimi said truthfully.

Jessie chuckled. "Thanks. I'm manager now, you know. Have been for going on ten years. If I wasn't, I'd have been long gone by now."

"That's great!" Mimi congratulated.

"Not as great as owning your own dance studio. Don't ask - I do get out, you know," Jessie said, fielding off Mimi's questioning look. "So what brings you here tonight? If you haven't come back in two decades, I doubt tonight was just for kicks."

Mimi hesitated. "Actually, I'm here to see one of your dancers. Adrienne?"

Jessie raised her eyebrows. "Addy? That's what we call her here." She added. "Bizarre girl. Totally sweet," she added quickly, "And one heck of a dancer! But she's very…lonely. Did you know she was an orphan, and she grew up in the orphanage? Never got adopted."

"I did know that," Mimi replied.

Jessie frowned. "How do you know her?"

"Um…we just…met, one day at the drugstore," Mimi said lamely.

Jessie looked unconvinced, but since Mimi was an old friend, she let it pass. "Well, Addy comes on in about seven minutes, so let's get you a front row seat, shall we, ma'am?"

Mimi giggled and allowed Jessie to show her to a table right next to the stage. The smell was even worse up here, and the closeness was uncomfortable. Mimi couldn't remember why she'd ever put up with this life. She ignored a few men nearby who were eying her appreciatively and fixed her eyes on the stage as the lights dimmed.

An hour later, Mimi met Adrienne at the stage door. Adrienne had put a long purple coat on over her costume, and she wasn't laughing or talking like the other dancers. She wore a rather brooding expression, but when she saw Mimi her whole face lit up.

"Mimi!" she bounced over, elated. "You came!"

"Of course I came," Mimi said, "I said I would, didn't I?"

"Come on, let's go sit somewhere more private," Adrienne suggested, pushing her way through the crowd to an empty table in the corner. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"No, thanks," Mimi shook her head. "I had something during the show."

They both sat down, and an awkward silence filled the space. Then Mimi cleared her throat.

"So – I guess you have a ton of questions you want to ask me."

Adrienne shrugged. "Yes. But they may not be the kind of questions you expect."

"Oh?" Mimi arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I don't want to know more about why you left me or anything like that. I know, and I understand. I want to know more about the people."

"The people?" Mimi asked.

"You, and your family and friends. What are they like?"

Mimi bit her lip. "Well, I don't really know where to begin! There's me – I love to dance, and sometimes I cook. One of my best friends taught me how to make a mean enchilada."

"You have a cooking friend?" Adrienne asked, looking genuinely interested.

Mimi's smile faded. "Well…no. I _had _a friend…She died of AIDS over twenty years ago."

"Oh."

Mimi sighed. "Maybe I'd better start at the beginning." And she did. She told Adrienne everything, all about Angel, and Roger, Mark, Collins, Maureen, Joanne, Benny, Angie, Rachael, and Ben. Everything leading right up to the meeting at the apartment the day before.

Adrienne listened intently, never interrupting, and laughing or crying at all the right places. She seemed excited upon learning she not only had a half-sister, but a half-brother as well.

"Dad's a real jerk, isn't he?" she laughed when the story was finally finished.

"Sometimes." Mimi admitted, snorting, "No matter what, we never seem to be able to get rid of him. But he's going through a hard divorce right now, so I try to lighten up on him a little."

"It's so amazing that you have such a close-knit group. Like a big family."

"We _are _a big family," Mimi corrected, putting her hand over Adrienne's. "And you're a part of it, too."

Hope flared in the younger woman's eyes for a split second, but then her face fell. "I'd like to be," she muttered.

"But…?" Mimi pressed.

"But – you never told your husband about me. How will he react when he finds out, if he already hates Dad so much? Something tells me I won't be welcomed with open arms."

Mimi silently knew Adrienne had a point. "Let me deal with Roger," she insisted. "You're my daughter, Adrienne. Roger will understand how important this is to me, in time. Don't take it personally if he's a little cold at first – sometimes he gets like that. But I promise that you are welcome anytime. You're family."

Adrienne studied Mimi's face. "I've never had a family before."

"You do now." Mimi glanced at her watch and started. "It's one-thirty already? Oh, Adrienne, I've got to go! I'm so sorry!" she jumped up and slung her purse across her shoulder.

"That's okay." Adrienne said, standing, "I should go, too."

"It was really great talking to you. Next time, make sure you get a word in about yourself," Mimi joked.

There was another moment of awkwardness, and then Adrienne stepped forward and embraced her mother. Mimi responded warmly.

"Thanks. For everything," Adrienne said, wiping her eyes.

"I'll see you soon." Mimi promised, "I'll come back."

"Okay. Bye…Mom." Adrienne flushed, and disappeared before Mimi could react.

Mimi felt her spirits soar as she headed into the dark streets. _Mom_.

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A/N: I'm really bad at endings...oh, well, review!


	11. Goings and Comings

A/N: Not much to say about this chapter. It's a mix of different things, with fluff in the second part. Definitely a filler. With a cliffhanger at the end.

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"So what you're saying is that, basically, with me being the paternal guardian and temporarily unemployed, I've got no chance against Alison?" Benny asked for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Joanne sighed. She and Benny had been sitting in the coffee shop for over an hour, reviewing the many angles of the custody battle. Benny was determined to be pessimistic.

"I didn't _say _that," she said in exasperation.

"But that's what you think," he said dully.

He was really starting to get on her nerves.

"Benny, Ben is not a child anymore. He'll be seventeen soon, right? Well, one more year and he's legally an adult. That could count to our advantage. This is still about what's best for Ben, but he doesn't need constant supervision anymore, which will be taken into consideration." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You're planning on getting a job soon, right?"

"I'm looking," Benny nodded.

"Well, look harder." Joanne began to pack up her things. "That's all you can do for now. Leave the rest to me. I'll call you in a few days."

They both stood.

"Thanks for doing this, Joanne." Benny said quietly, extending his hand. Joanne shook it.

"Ben's a nice kid. In order to convince Maureen to let me take your case, I had to tell her I was only doing this for him, and for Angie." She hesitated. "But…but I'm doing it for you, too, Benny. The others might not have noticed, but I did. You really wanted to jump up on the table at the Life and sing with us that Christmas Eve, didn't you?"

Benny smiled faintly.

"See you around." Joanne left briskly.

--

A week passed. Finally, Gregory and Julie Cohen were leaving the City for their home in Scarsdale. They had been driving the entire household up the wall. Mark and Anna were sick of being treated as invalids, Rachael and Angie of being endlessly hounded about schoolwork, Roger of being babied, and Mimi of being ignored. No one was really sad to see them go.

"Call us if there's the slightest problem," Julie instructed as she hugged everyone goodbye. "We can come back at any moment."

"Thanks, Mom," Mark smiled, fond of his parents now that they were going to be out of his hair, at least in person.

"Mark," Gregory shook his son's hand. "Take good care of her," he nodded at Rachael. "It's the teenage years you have to watch out for."

Rachael blushed and Mark choked back a laugh.

"We'll keep that in mind," Anna broke in, smiling.

"Bye," Roger accepted a hug from Julie. "We'll see you."

"You most certainly will, within the year. These long waits are much too long for me. Either you all come to see us, or we'll come back, with Cindy and her boys in tow. Those boys may be young men now, but I'm sure they'd still love to visit their uncle and his family."

Mark hid a horrified expression in his hands. His mother didn't notice.

"Goodbye, then," Gregory said, hoisting his suitcase onto his shoulder and pulling his wife's toward the door.

"Bye!" Everyone called, waving as the senior Cohens left the Loft. As soon as they were gone, a sigh of relief echoed through the room. It was shortlived - not twenty seconds later, the door swung open again to reveal a beaming Maureen.

"Hey, saw your parents on their way out. They leaving today? I forgot. Isn't it such a pretty day? I love this weather, don't you?" She said this all in one breath, leaving the others rather taken aback.

"Maureen," Mimi said slowly, "Is there something we forgot about today?"

Maureen's face fell slightly. "You mean you don't remember?"

Rachael gasped. "Kate! She came home today!"

Maureen's face lit up. She bounded over to Rachael, putting an arm around her goddaughter. "Right you are! And I would like to introduce her to you." She took on a deep announcer's voice. "All the way from Tenth Street, presenting the one, the only…Katharine Jefferson-Johnson!"

Joanne appeared in the doorway, Kate in her arms.

A collective 'Awww…' from the women trickled through the air, and everyone moved forward. Kate, looking rather alarmed, hid her face in Joanne's shoulder.

"Kate…" Joanne cooed, "These are our friends. We want to introduce them to you."

Shyly, Kate peered out at all the excited faces.

"She's adorable!" Anna breathed.

"Absolutely," Mimi agreed.

"Awesome," Roger said calmly, but his eyes were sparkling with excitement.

"See, Kate?" Maureen said gently, stroking her daughter's hair. "No need to be afraid. This is your new family."

"Can we hold her?" Angie asked in an awed whisper.

Joanne shrugged. "That's up to her. Kate, can Angie hold you?" Kate hid her face again.

"Let's give her a little time to adjust," Anna suggested. "Why don't you sit down?"

The small crowd parted, and Joanne crossed the room and sat on the couch. Maureen sat on the other side and took Kate into her own lap.

"Let me see her," Mark said quietly. He had not been able to see over the heads of his friends from his wheelchair. He wheeled up next to the couch.

"Kate, this is your Uncle Marky." Maureen introduced the two. To their surprise, Kate's face cracked into a smile, and she reached toward Mark eagerly.

"Can I?" Mark asked.

Maureen responded by plunking Kate into his lap, careful not to jostle his legs. Mark wrapped his good arm around the little girl. Kate settled contentedly back against his chest.

"Looks like we chose the right man to be her godfather," Joanne joked. "She really likes you."

Mark smiled with pure joy. He glanced up at Rachael, remembering a time when she had been no larger than this little girl. Rachael caught his eye and grinned.

Before anyone could soak in the moment any more, there was a stampeding from the stairs. Everyone turned in surprise. Mark's arm tightened impulsively around Kate.

The door flew open with a bang, and Adrienne rushed in, her braids streaming behind her and a panicked look on her face. Her eyes found Mimi.

"Mimi! You have to help me! I'm in trouble!"

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A/N: -Dramatic music- What _now_? Review to find out!


	12. Reactions

A/N: You guys are lucky - I didn't think I was going to update tonight, didn't even have anything written for this chapter, but I sat down at my computer and the words flowed out. Maybe it's excitement over the fast-falling snow outside! School delay tomorrow, I hope! So Happy...February. And Happy (Early) Valentine's Day, since I probably won't be updating again until after the holiday.

This chapter starts right where the last one left off!

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"Who are you?" Roger demanded, stepping protectively in front of his wife. Mimi pushed him aside impatiently.

"Calm down, Roger, this is Adrienne. She's…a friend." She turned to Adrienne. "What's wrong?"

Adrienne glanced behind her, into the hall. At finding no one there, she seemed to relax a little, and as her eyes roved over the startled people before her, her cheeks flushed pink from embarrassment. "There…there were these two guys chasing me. They scared me…" Her voice trailed off as her eyes fell to the floor.

Rachael crossed to the window and peered down. "There are some men down there. They're looking up…"

"Hey, baby! Why don't you come down here and hang with us for a while?" a raucous call came from the street, followed by kissing noises.

Rachael leapt back from the window and fled to her mother's side.

Roger's jaw tightened. "I'll go take care of it." He muttered darkly.

"I'll come with you." Maureen said at once, jumping up.

"Maureen, stay here. You're a woman, too, you know."

"Really? I'd forgotten," Maureen said sarcastically. "Relax. I'm not scared of them. Besides, they outnumber you. If I go with you and they make trouble, I'll get the chance to try out my Kung-Fu Kitty kick." And she danced out the door before the others could protest. Roger chased after her, rolling his eyes.

Two seconds after they'd left, there was a general rush to the windows. Only Mark, who still held Kate, and Adrienne, who looked extremely uncomfortable, was left.

Roger barged out the front door, Maureen at his heels. She hovered in the doorway, keeping the door propped open with her foot, while Roger stalked forward to meet the two guys, who looked surprised at their sudden company.

"Get off my property." He hissed. "Now."

"What're you gonna do about it?" the more brawny of the two sneered. He eyed Maureen appreciatively. "You gonna get your girlfriend to beat us up?"

Roger's lips peeled back from his teeth in a grin. "You know, I just might."

The other guy, who was rather weedy in appearance, seemed to sense a threat.

"C'mon, Jon, let's go." He said to his companion.

Jon rolled his eyes, not taking them off Roger. "He can't make us leave. Watch." He took a step forward. Roger didn't move.

"Oh, Rog, please be careful…" Mimi moaned, her face pressed against the glass.

"Look!" Angie exclaimed, pointing. A car was driving slowly down the street. It parked on the curb and two figures climbed out. "Isn't that…"

"Benny!" Maureen gasped from her position in the doorway.

Jon and his friend turned as Benny and Ben approached, Benny holding out an arm to keep Ben behind him.

"What's going on, Roger?" he asked nonchalantly, at the same time reaching into his pocket. His tone was light, but the intention was clear.

"Let's get out of here," Jon muttered, and he and his friend disappeared down the street.

Roger looked relieved, but he turned his glare on Benny instead. "What are you doing here?"

Benny chuckled. "You're welcome. I'm picking Angie up. She and Ben had a date scheduled for this afternoon."

"Oh." Roger turned without another word and returned inside. Maureen followed. Benny only just caught the door before it closed.

All those up in the Loft retreated quickly from the window and tried to act as though they had not just been watching. Adrienne stepped into a corner.

The door slid open seconds later. Roger slouched into the room, followed by Maureen, who swept Kate off Mark's lap and retook her seat on the couch. Benny and Ben were right behind them.

"We got rid of them," Roger said. "Don't worry-" he glanced around, searching for Adrienne. "What was your name again?"

"Adrienne," Adrienne murmured.

All eyes turned to her. The question was clear: Who the heck are you?

Mimi sighed unhappily. "I believe proper introductions are in order. Everyone, this is Adrienne. Adrienne, this is…everyone."

Adrienne squirmed, especially under Benny's penetrating gaze. His brow cleared suddenly, and his eyes flew to Mimi's, pleading for her to tell him it wasn't true. She met his look, then shook her head sadly. He closed his eyes tightly.

"Hi," Adrienne said in a small voice.

"Funny, Meems – she has…your eyes," Anna said slowly in confusion.

Mimi knew it was no use pretending. She only wished there was some other way to break this to everybody.

"Guys, I have a confession to make. Adrienne is my…well, Benny's and mine…daughter."

Silence.

"What?" Angie asked softly.

Mimi refused to meet Roger's eyes, knowing that the anger and hurt and shock she would surely find there would be like a physical pain to her.

"Twenty-two years ago, Benny and I had an affair, as I'm sure you all know. He was engaged to Alison at the time, so when the affair resulted in a pregnancy, we didn't know what to do. We decided we would have to give the baby up. I stayed inside for the later months of my pregnancy, taking a sick leave from work so no one would know. Those who did know didn't know who the father was. When I had the baby, Benny and I took it to the orphanage. And that was it. We never spoke about it again. I never expected to hear anything about my daughter since Benny and I left a request of anonymity, but only a week ago, Adrienne found me. And…well, here she is."

"Oh." Benny said simply.

"Why…why didn't you ever _say _anything?" Angie squeaked.

Mimi turned to her younger daughter. Angie looked shell-shocked at this new information. Her eyes were filling up with tears as she stared at her mother.

"Sweetie…" Mimi took half a step. Angie backed away.

"I…I need a few minutes." She choked. She turned and fled out the door, slamming into the apartment on the floor below.

Rachael hesitated, and then went after her friend. Ben looked as if he half-wanted to follow, but he stayed where he was, as surprised as Angie had been at finding he had a half-sibling. And perhaps deciding Angie did not need comforting from the guy she shared a sister with.

The tension in the Loft was almost physical, a presence that rooted them all where they sat or stood. Mimi and Adrienne stared at the floor. Everyone else, excluding Roger, stared at each other. Roger's eyes were on the window, but they were looking past it, not really seeing anything.

"Maybe we'd better go." Joanne suggested softly. She stood, pulling Maureen up with her. "We'll see you all later." Maureen didn't even protest, following obediently as Kate waved shyly over her mother's shoulder.

"Um…we should go, too," Benny said softly.

"Benny..." Mimi pleaded.

He shook his head. "Now is not the time." His message was clear: You and Roger need time alone before we talk about this.

She nodded, and the Coffins left. Adrienne edged toward the door, her eyes flitting nervously from her mother to Roger.

"I'll…just…yeah…" And she practically sprinted out the door.

Mark and Anna looked like they wanted to remove themselves from the room but could not find a way to do so, this being their apartment. Mimi bit her lip and looked up at Roger for the first time. He still had not looked at her. His stance was rigid, but his hands hung loosely at his sides.

"Roger?" Mimi asked tentatively.

He turned and looked at her finally. His expression was oddly tranquil, but his eyes betrayed conflicting emotions, hurt being the most prominent of all.

"I need to be alone." He said quietly. "Please don't follow me." He wrenched open the window, climbing out onto the fire escape and heading upwards out of sight.

Mimi swayed for a moment, then burst into tears and collapsed on the floor.

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A/N: I hope all the emotions in here were realistic. I did my best, but I have never been on any end of this scenario, so...Review?


	13. Reflections

A/N: Sorry it's been a while since I've updated. This story has given me so much trouble through the writing process! Lots of brain block. But I managed to get this next chapter out. Happy March.

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"Mimi…Mimi, please come out…" Anna pleaded to the closed bathroom door. Mimi had been inside for an hour. After huddling on the living room floor for a full minute, the Latino dancer had fled to the bathroom and locked herself in.

"Give her some time," Mark called from his position near the couch. "That bathroom's seen worse than tears over the years." He moodily fixed his eyes on a spot on the floor a few feet in front of him. Then, taking a deep breath, he pushed off the wheelchair and took a shaky step. His leg gave way and he fell to the floor with a gasp of pain.

"Mark?" Anna asked, turning. Panic crossed her face and she ran to her husband. "Honey, are you okay?"

"Yeah." Mark winced as Anna helped him back into his wheelchair. "I guess my legs aren't ready to walk yet."

"Don't do that to me! You could hurt yourself further by trying to stand without the physical therapy." Anna chided. "You don't need to prove anything. When it's time, we'll know."

Mark pursed his lips bitterly just as a whimper drifted out of the bathroom.

"You don't think we should worry about her?" Anna asked, nodding towards the sound. "After April…you don't think…"

"Definitely not," Mark said firmly. "Mimi's all about living for today. She would never consider that. She knows Roger will come back down eventually." He raised his gaze to the ceiling. "It may take a while, though…I wish I could get up there to talk to him."

"Roger has to grow up sooner or later," Anna said angrily. "He can't just run from his problems forever."

"He'd like to try…" Mark muttered.

--

Downstairs in the Davis apartment, Angie rocked angrily back and forth, her forehead pressed to her kneecaps. Rachael stood by the window, her eyes flicking back and forth between it and her friend.

"It isn't as if I would have minded having a sister!" Angie spat. "If I had known there was another person out there who shared my mom with me _before _she showed up on our doorstep-! But suddenly, almost seventeen years into my life, this girl shows up and says she's my sister. And Mom confirms it! I mean, how long has she been going behind the family's back, lying to us all?" Angie sighed. "I love my mom, and even though I'm mad at her, I'm madder at this girl for showing up at all. What right does she have? We're fine without her."

Rachael sat beside her friend, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "It might be cool to have a sister…" she said softly.

Angie leaned against Rachael. "I already have one. You. I don't need another."

--

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Ben accused his father as they inched forward in the city traffic.

Benny thought before answering. "For the same reason Mimi never told Angie, I guess. It was a long time ago. Something I never thought would come up again."

"If you didn't think it would ever matter, why didn't you just tell me about it?"

"We were doing fine the way we were. I never saw a reason." Benny sighed. "I _did _think about telling you a couple years ago. But then you and Angie started going out…and I realized how weird it would be for the two of you to realize you shared an older sister. If I told you, you might feel obligated to tell Angie, and that wasn't my place. If Mimi wanted to tell her family, that was her business. I've already messed with that group enough. It was just another thing they could use against me. I guess it doesn't matter now."

"It matters to me," Ben muttered. He shifted. "I guess…I guess Angie and I are going to have some talking to do."

--

Roger stood on the rooftop, letting the breeze caress his face and lift his hair from his shoulders. It was a cleansing feeling, and he took a deep breath to soak it in, opening his green eyes to stare out at the city.

The funny thing was, Roger had once considered the possibility of Benny and Mimi having a child. It caused him a few nights of anxiety, but he had managed to convince himself that Mimi would have told him – and that even if she hadn't, it didn't matter. What was in the past was in the past, after all.

But it did matter. It mattered because of the sharp pain, like a knife, that had stabbed his heart when Mimi had announced Adrienne was her daughter. It mattered because of the hurt in Angie's voice, the utter disbelief and loss of trust in her mother. It mattered because everyone was affected. They were such a tight-knit family that even Mark, Anna, Rachael, Maureen, and Joanne felt the pain.

Roger squeezed his eyes shut, running a hand over his face tiredly. Not for the first time in his life, he was at a loss as to what to do. He was hurt, that was certain. It was to be expected. Even a strong man like Roger had his weak points, and Roger's was undoubtedly Mimi. He _loved _her. More than he'd ever loved April, much more. He did his best to be completely honest with her…and he expected her to do the same.

Did she not trust him? Did she not love him the way he loved her?

No. She did love him. Roger was sure of it. After all the crap they'd gotten through in their relationship, she had to love him. She'd pined away for him once, and given up drugs for him. So…why did she never tell him about Adrienne?

Because_ she loves you so much_. His inner voice was stern. _She knew it would hurt you if she told you she bore Benny a child. She was scared of you._

Roger bit his lip. He didn't like the sound of that. He didn't want Mimi to ever be afraid of him.

_You couldn't help it. You hated Benny, and you made that clear. You never wanted to hear about him, and when you heard he and Mimi had an affair, you nearly left her forever because of it. What do you think she was going to do at that point? She considered herself lucky that Benny didn't see a reason to gloat about their daughter._

Roger sighed and looked back towards the rooftop door. He kept expecting to see Mark approaching him, as had been the case so many times before. But he knew Mark couldn't follow him this time. It was an odd, lonely feeling.

As if bidden by his look, the door swung open, and a figure started towards him, the face hidden by the sun. As it approached, Maureen came into focus.

"I thought you went home?" he questioned.

"I did," Maureen replied. "But I came back. I thought you'd probably be up here. I've got to substitute for Mark, you know, since he's temporarily confined to a chair."

Roger liked the way Maureen said 'temporarily'. "You think he'll walk again?"

"Naturally." Maureen pushed a strand of hair out of her face and fixed Roger with a glare. "But I didn't come up here to talk about Mark. I came up here to talk to you."

"Why didn't she tell me?" Roger asked, somewhat rhetorically.

"I don't know," Maureen said.

"I mean, how could she?"

"You're right. How could she? You're her husband, after all. She should have told you."

Roger was taken aback. "I thought you'd take her side."

"Are you kidding? After this? She's a lying, cheating, no-good little stripper."

"Don't talk about her like that!" Roger said angrily.

"Why not? It's the truth. She isn't good enough for you, Roger. All she's brought you is pain and struggle. You should have left her when you had the-"

Her sentence was cut off as Roger lunged forward, barely missing Maureen, who had danced deftly aside.

"_Don't talk about her like that!_" he yelled. "Mimi's the best thing that's ever happened to me. I love her."

Unexpectedly, Maureen's face broke into a smile. "See?"

"See what?" he asked, confused.

"What just happened when I tricked you? You defended her. It's in your nature. You don't want this to ruin the two of you."

Roger relaxed, struggling for something to say. "So you…you don't think she's no-good?"

Maureen started laughing. "Are you kidding? Mimi's my best friend, Roger! I love her. And you do, too. She means everything to you."

"Yeah, she does." Roger realized.

"So why are you still standing here? Go talk to her!"

"I will!" Roger said. He hugged Maureen. "Thanks, Mo."

"Any time!" she called after him as he bounded into the stairwell.

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A/N: So...this chapter's okay, I think. It isn't my favorite, but I don't hate it, either. Review?


	14. Reconciliation

A/N: Wow, what's it been this time, two days? Sometimes the writing bug hits...and it chose today. Plus, I've been in a major Adam Pascal mood today. I don't know why. So that helped.

This chapter is okay, from my perspective. It might need a little revising later on...but maybe not.

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"Mark, I think I should go get Roger," Anna said, shooting a nervous look in the direction of the bathroom. "They _have _to talk about this."

"Maureen will convince him to come down," Mark said confidently.

Anna heaved a sigh and threw herself onto the couch. "I feel so helpless!"

Mark nodded. "I know," he said soothingly, "But they'll work it out. They always do."

The door slid open, revealing Roger. "Where is she?" he asked.

Mark pointed at the bathroom door. "See?" he whispered to his wife.

"Mimi?" Roger was at the bathroom now. "Mimi, please open the door. I wanna talk."

The crying inside was hastily muffled. After a moment, there was a click and the door swung slowly inward. Mimi emerged, her eyes red and puffy.

"The roof?" she suggested hopefully, sniffling.

Roger nodded and turned without a word. Mimi trailed after him. As they left, Maureen passed them on her way in. She plopped down in the armchair.

"How did you do it?" Anna asked.

Maureen smiled. "Just call me the 'Love Doctor.'

Mark snorted.

--

"Roger…"

He turned from his position leaning against the wall. Mimi stood several paces behind him, her arms wrapped tightly around her against the wind.

"Here," Roger peeled off his leather jacket and tossed it to her. "Put this on, you'll be warmer."

It was a casual gesture, something that had been done many times over the years, but it was oddly leaden, mechanical, right now. Hesitantly, Mimi slid into the coat, shoving her hands into the pockets. Roger had turned away again.

"Roger…I should have told you about Adrienne. You deserved to know." Her husband didn't respond, staring motionlessly out at the city. "I didn't want to think about those years. It's been so long…and we live in such a big city. I never expected to be faced by my past this far along in my life. I'm not offering this as an excuse, I promise. And you have every right to be angry…" she fell silent. He still didn't look at her. There was a pause. "Roger, you're shivering. Let's go inside? The last thing our immune systems need is pneumonia."

He finally turned to face her, and his eyes were soft as he looked her up and down. "Are you cold?" he murmured.

She shook her head. "You?"

He shrugged. "A little."

And then, neither of them was quite sure how it happened, she was sobbing in his arms, and he was whispering into her hair, and they were caught in a tight lover's embrace.

"I'm so sorry!" Mimi whispered.

"Stop saying that," he chided, holding her close. "I shouldn't get upset so easily."

"No, you have every right to be upset. I'm such a screw-up…"

"Don't. Mimi, don't say that about yourself." He sighed and released her slightly, staring intently into her eyes. "You are a beautiful and intelligent person who has skeletons in her past, the _same as everyone else_. So you and Benny had a daughter. Yes, it is a big deal, but you wanted to forget about it. It was before we met, a long time ago. Yes, you should have told me about her, but…I don't want to fight about it. I'm sick of us fighting." He pulled her close again. "We've been through too much," he muttered, "to lose it because of this."

Tears streaked silently down Mimi's cheeks. "I really am sorry. I promise I'll never keep secrets from you again."

"I believe you," he whispered into her hair. "It's going to take time getting used to, but we'll make it work somehow."

She laughed shakily. "What did I do to deserve you?"

Roger laughed. "What did _I _do to deserve _you_?"

Mimi smiled. A moment later, she sighed and pulled back. "We should try to talk to Angie. She was really upset."

Roger nodded in agreement, so they clasped hands and descended the stairs, past the Loft to their apartment. When they slid the door open, Angie and Rachael looked up from the magazines they had been trying (and failing) to read. Angie's face lit up upon sight of her parent's reconciliation.

"Rachael, can we talk to Angie privately?" Mimi asked gently.

Rachael jumped up. "Yeah. I'll be upstairs." She shot Angie one last look, then exited the room and was heard pounding up the stairs.

Mimi sat on one side of her daughter, and Roger sat on the other.

"Honey…we need to talk about Adrienne," Mimi said.

Angie's face fell. "I don't want to talk about that."

"We have to," Mimi sighed. "Because she's your sister whether you like it or not."

"I don't _want _a sister," Angie said sourly. "I've got Rachael, and that's enough for me."

"Unfortunately, you don't really have a choice. It could be fun. Adrienne's very sweet, and I know she wants to meet you and be your sister."

"Quit calling her that!" Angie shouted, jumping up. "I _like _being an only child! I don't want someone else ruining it after sixteen years! Besides, she's only my half-sister, not my real sister!"

Mimi's eyes dropped to the floor. "I should have told you a long time ago. But sweetie, I honestly never thought you would meet her."

"You were wrong." Angie crossed her arms and turned away.

Roger spoke for the first time. "Angie…are you worried that Adrienne is going to take your place?"

Mimi's eyes snapped up and latched onto her daughter's. Angie's face twisted, and she dropped back onto the couch and hid her face in her hands.

"Angela April Davis!" Mimi gasped, wrapping her arms around her daughter. "Don't think that for one second! No one could ever, _ever _take your place. _Ever._ You are the best thing that has ever happened to your father and I. No matter how great Adrienne may be, she could never take your place in this family."

"I just don't want to have to share you!" Angie choked, revealing her tear-stained face. "I don't want to have to share with this girl."

"Adrienne isn't even going to live with us," Mimi said. "You'll have to share me a little, but just think about how Adrienne is feeling. She didn't get to grow up with her parents, and they aren't married, and not even on exceptionally good terms. She doesn't know anyone in our group, and she's going to have to forge relationships with them all. Unlike you, she isn't going to be accepted simply because of who her parents are. She's probably very scared, and you could help by being nice to her. Try to get used to her. I'm not asking you to become her best friend, or even to be her friend at first. Just try to be nice to her, look at things from her point of view. I think you'll find you like her. Keep in mind she's much more insecure in this than you are."

Angie nodded slowly. "I'll try," she said finally. "I really will."

"That's all anyone can ask," Mimi said, kissing her daughter on the head.

"I still need time to think about this," Angie said. "Just quiet time to think. It's…a lot to take in. I'm just not sure how I feel about it yet."

Mimi nodded. "No one will begrudge you that." She hesitated. "What about if I invited Adrienne to come to dinner with us at the Life sometime in the near future? If you'd like, we can invite everyone. Then later the two of us can go to lunch with her…sort of a mother-daughter thing."

"Okay. But not for a few days?" Angie pleaded.

"Of course. I love you, chica. Don't forget that." Mimi hugged her daughter once more, and then stood. Roger had watched the affair in silence, realizing this was something between the women in his life. He and Mimi had already had their talk.

"I think I'm going to go lie down for a while," Angie announced. She stood and stretched, then kissed her father and headed toward her bedroom.

"We should probably go up to the Loft and show the others everything's okay." Roger said.

"And thank Maureen," Mimi smiled.

"How did you know?" Roger asked, aghast.

"I heard her coming into the Loft, and Mark sent her up after you. Then she was coming down when we went up. I know Maureen."

Roger smiled, shaking his head, and he followed his wife eagerly up the stairs.

_We're okay…_

_------------------------_

A/N: I'm struggling for endings to these chapters. Ah, well, review and tell me what you thought about it? Any suggestions would be helpful...I sort of feel like this chapter might be missing something.


	15. When Life's Unfair

A/N: Sorry it's been a while...I'm getting used to the constant writer's block. New York City was great, RENT was incredible!! And it's been extended 'til September 7th! Viva La Vie Boheme! This chapter was going to be the dinner with all the Bohos and Adrienne, but I didn't quite feel up to it at the moment, so I made this a filler instead that leads right up to that event. Next chapter, I'll have no choice. This chapter is a little sad, but not really...you'll see.

I realized that throughout this entire fanfic, Mark has not filmed once, and I freaked out. Mark's filming is my favorite! So I added in a little snippet with that activity.

* * *

"I'm not ready for this," Angie sighed as she pulled a brush through her hair.

"Ready for what?" Rachael asked, swinging herself into a sitting position on her bed.

"Meeting Adrienne. I mean, I told my mom I would try my best to accept her, but I've been thinking about it, and I'm just not ready to have a sister. I'm scared," she admitted.

"We're all going," Rachael reminded her. "I'll sit right beside you and try to make small talk with her. That should give you time to adjust. Everything's going to be fine." Rachael seized her friend's hair and began French-braiding it.

"Thanks, Rach."

**--**

Anna sighed as she looked towards her daughter's closed bedroom door, behind which the two teenagers were supposed to be getting ready.

"What's wrong?" Mark asked, wheeling himself up to his wife.

"Nothing, really. I just can't help but think that neither of them was ready for all this."

"I'm not following."

"We lost Collins a little over a year ago. He survived a lot longer than anyone thought he would, and so Rachael and Angie grew up with him. Then he died, and they lost an uncle. Then Angie started going out with Ben. Now that this situation with Benny has sprung up, Angie is probably going to have to break up with him, which is a shame because he's such a sweet kid. Not to mention Maureen and Joanne adopting Kate."

"…and then there's Mimi…" Mark murmured.

Anna started. "What _about _Mimi?" she asked suspiciously.

Before Mark could answer, the bedroom door swung open and Rachael and Angie tumbled out, giggling.

"Ready?" Mark asked brightly, avoiding his wife's glare.

"Uh-huh," Rachael nodded.

"Let me get my parents to help us downstairs," Angie said, disappearing into the hallway. Anna was now completely off her crutches, and Mark's physical therapy was to begin soon, but he still needed a lot of help getting downstairs.

Minutes later, the Davises appeared in the doorway. Mimi looked much like Angie; nervous and excited at the same time. It was clear that Roger was struggling to remain calm, but the situation was undoubtedly awkward for him.

Rachael broke the awkward silence. "We'd better get going. We promised to meet everyone else before Adrienne gets there, remember?"

Before too long, the group of six stood (or, in Mark's case, sat) in front of the Life Café. Mimi pulled the door open and they filed inside, eyes roaming the room for a familiar face.

"Guys! Mark, Roger, over here!" Maureen's shrill yell rose over the general murmur, and the diva and her wife and daughter, plus, sitting several seats away, Benny and Ben, were spotted at a long table in the back.

"Here we go," Roger muttered under his breath. Only Mark heard him, and the filmmaker gave a small smile as he wheeled himself to a space at the table between the musician and his wife.

"Hey," Benny said casually. As usual, no one honored him with an answer. Ben pulled out a seat beside himself for Angie, but she hung back and shoved Rachael into the offered chair, sitting on the other side of her friend. Ben looked hurt, but understanding. An unusual, stiff silence fell over the table, punctured only by Kate's occasional giggles as she remained oblivious to the adults' discomfort.

"This is ridiculous!" Mimi said finally, standing and fixing each of them in turn with a stern gaze, "Look, we may not be at ease around Adrienne when she gets here, I can understand that. But we've all known each other for years! We're _family_. There is no reason to be like this. Come on, where'd the party go?"

No one pointed out that parties used to be Collins' thing. The point had been made, and gradually individual conversations started up. Even the Coffins were integrated into discussion, and for a little while at least, it felt normal again. As if the group was whole again…as if no one had ever left.

"February 13th, seven pm, Eastern Standard Time…" Mark panned his camera around, focusing in on faces in turn. And suddenly the "Bohemian" feeling had returned to the table.

Maureen grabbed the camera from Mark, and she would have made obscene gestures to the lens except that Kate was sitting right there and Joanne would have been furious. She contented herself with making funny faces, and then as soon as Mark lunged in his chair to get the machine back, she passed it across to Mimi. Mimi tried to toss it to Roger, but the guitarist had taken his instrument out of its case and had no free arms, so she backtracked quickly and handed it off to Rachael.

Like old times.

For a few minutes, anyway.

"Angie, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Angie jumped. She'd been distracted by the camera antics and hadn't noticed Ben creeping up behind her. He was biting his lip and looked extremely distressed. Angie's hesitance gave way to her affection for her boyfriend, and she nodded and followed him out the back into the alley. They stood in silence for a moment, neither knowing where to start.

"Angie, I'm sorry," Ben said suddenly.

"For what?" Angie asked, surprised.

"I…don't know. For waiting two weeks after we found out to talk to you, I guess. If you've been as unhappy as I have lately…well, I'm sorry."

"It isn't your fault. It isn't my fault. It isn't _anyone's_ fault." Angie said diplomatically.

"I keep trying to tell myself that, but a part of me wants it to be my dad's fault," Ben confessed.

"It _is_ your dad and my mom's fault that…well…Adrienne was born. But what's happened between you and I isn't anyone's fault. They never knew this was going to come back to haunt them. They never knew their kids would start dating."

"But they _did _know we shared a sister, somewhere!" Ben exclaimed. "Why didn't they tell us?"

"Because they wanted to forget." Angie said, shrugging, "Because they didn't want their pasts to decide their life, or their bad choices to affect their children."

"It's so gross," Ben muttered. Angie pursed her lips, suddenly angry.

"Well, I'm sorry, Benjamin Coffin! It may be "gross," but they didn't mean to do it and blaming them isn't going to change anything!" She sighed and deflated. "Look, let's just talk about you and me, okay?"

"We can't keep going out, you know," Ben said sadly.

Angie nodded. "I know. Which is a shame, because I really like you, Ben."

"I like you, too." Ben smiled regretfully.

"It'll be easier if we just get it over with," Angie said.

"We can still be-"

"_Don't _say it!"

He grinned despite himself. "Well, it's true! We aren't breaking up because it isn't working out. I still want to be friends, don't you? It's not like we can forget about each other, if we have to see each other at family reunions and all that!"

"Yes. We can still be friends." Angie said. She took Ben's hand. "One last kiss?"

Ben leaned forward obediently, and their lips met. It was sweet, but different. A kind of bittersweet feeling, because they both held back with the knowledge it was the last, and that somewhere nearby walked a girl whose veins coursed with some of the same blood as both of them. The kiss fell into an embrace, and before Angie knew it or could stop herself, she was crying. Ben had been her first real boyfriend, and the worst part was knowing it probably would have continued working out. Knowing the only thing separating them was something irreversible, decided twenty-one years ago. The hug was cut short when the door swung open.

Rachael blushed when she saw the couple, but a sad smile at the corners of her mouth told the other two she knew what the hug had been about.

"Sorry to interrupt…but Adrienne's here."

Angie quickly dried her eyes on her sleeve, allowing Rachael to adjust her hair slightly. Ben slipped inside, unnoticed.

_Here we go! _Angie thought to herself as she brought up the rear into the dining room. And then a sudden question: _How did we get here?_

* * *

A/N: I know, pretty boring, huh? I felt slightly sad at breaking up Ben and Angie, but I never really concentrated much on their relationship to begin with, so I'm guessing no one will really care. So...review...


	16. Meeting Adrienne

A/N: Again, sorry for the long wait. My goal was to have this story finished before the year anniversary of posting it, but as that's in four days and there's two more chapters, more or less, after this, I don't see that happening. Oh, well...don't hate me for the wait. I'm an idiot with four in-progress stories and little motivation.

* * *

A dozen people sat scattered around the table, but it felt like eleven facing one, because all eyes were on Adrienne. The girl had obviously done her best to dress up for the occasion; she wore hole-less jeans and a sweater, and her hair bore signs of attempted taming. Her fingers twisted nervously around the strap of her purse, and she avoided eye contact, even with her mother, who was seated closest to her.

"So…" Benny said finally, giving a small cough. "…you dance?"

Adrienne's face cleared somewhat and she focused on her father. "Yeah," she affirmed. "I like dancing."

"Good…that's good…" Benny drummed his fingers on the table.

"What kind of dancing?" Maureen asked suddenly.

"All kinds," Adrienne replied, blushing slightly. The unspoken was obvious; strip dancing was her current specialty.

"What other things do you like to do?" Rachael wondered.

Adrienne took a long sip of water before replying. "I don't really know…dancing is all I really know how to do. I used to like to read to the younger kids at the orphanage. I helped the teachers teach them their ABC's, stuff like that."

Anna's face brightened. "Teaching?"

"Very unprofessionally," Adrienne nodded. Her eyes roamed over the group as they all tried to think of something else to say. They alighted on Mark's camera, on the table before him. "Is that a 16mm Bolex?" she asked eagerly.

He looked surprised, lifting the camera and glancing at it. "Yeah, it is. How did you know?"

"One of my friends once found an old one in a dumpster. It didn't work, but we spent all summer taking it apart and putting it back together. I learned a little about them in the process."

"I take it everywhere," Mark confessed. "Anyone here could tell you it's my 'baby.'"

"Auntie Moo? Is Uncle Mark's camera really a baby?" Kate asked from her position on Maureen's lap.

"No, sweetie. Though sometimes," she whispered, "he talks to it. Your Uncle Mark is one crazy guy!"

"Hey!" Mark exclaimed.

Everyone laughed – even Adrienne smiled uncertainly. She turned to Angie. "I saw your self-portrait," she said shyly.

Angie blushed, but looked pleased. "Really? What did you…I mean…did you…"

"I thought it was really good. Do you take art classes?"

Angie glowed.

Dinner progressed smoothly, the awkwardness dissipating gradually. Each member of the group seemed to be able to find something to talk to Adrienne about – except Roger. He wasn't exactly being sullen, but he wasn't saying much to anyone, and he hadn't said a single thing to Adrienne all evening. The others noticed this, but tried to ignore it and keep Adrienne busy so she wouldn't.

"Do you like shopping?" Angie asked her half-sister near the end of the evening.

"What kind of girl would I be if I didn't like shopping?" Adrienne laughed. "Though I mostly window-shop. I'm afraid my job just barely pays the bills."

"Well, you're totally gonna come with us the next time we go," Rachael promised her.

Mimi felt her heart swell at the sight of her two daughters getting along so well. She had been afraid it would take Angie a long time to relax around her older sister, but they seemed to be doing fine. In fact, everyone had relaxed and was joking around as usual. Even Roger ganged up with Maureen in an argument against Mark, laughing as they exchanged witty comments. But he still had not spoken to Adrienne.

Finally, the group decided it was time to bring the night to a close. Benny insisted on paying the check, so once that was done they trouped out onto the dark streets to say their goodbyes.

Joanne and Benny made plans to meet for lunch the next day – their court date was fast approaching. Then, with the excuse of putting Kate to bed, she and Maureen departed. Benny and Ben left soon after, bidding good night to Adrienne. Ben shot a look at Angie, but he didn't say anything before slinking after his father.

To avoid having to talk to Adrienne, Roger made a big show out of helping Mark into the car and fitting his wheelchair in after him. But then there was nothing else to distract him, and he finally turned to the young woman.

"Adrienne…

"It's okay. I understand why you-"

"No," he interrupted. "Let me finish." He took a deep breath. "You seem like a very bright young woman. And…I look forward to seeing more of you in the future."

Adrienne smiled. "Thank you. It was nice meeting you, too."

And that was it. Adrienne waved and headed down the street. The rest of the Bohos piled in the car, and they set out for the Loft.

Mimi put a hand on her husband's knee. "I'm proud of you," she said softly. "for giving Adrienne a chance." She looked over her shoulder to address her daughter. "And you, too, Angie. It looked like you and Adrienne and Rachael were having a good time."

"You know, Mom," Angie said seriously. "I think having a sister might be all right after all."

* * *

A/N: Um...I really have nothing else to say. Except review!


	17. Trials and Tribulations

A/N: _Much _quicker update! Less than a week, ha. So, this is where everything pretty much comes together, and is, at long last, the next-to-last chapter. I'm so excited, yet I've been working on this for a year today...so it's bittersweet.

I know nothing about custody battles (thankfully) other than snippets I may have seen in some movie or other. I researched a bit, but I still know virtually nothing. It didn't end up mattering, as you'll see...

* * *

The day of the custody trial came at last, and everyone except the Coffin family was gathered in the Loft to relieve their nerves. Or rather, _try _to relieve them, without much success. The women were predictably worried about looking their best; Anna was running in and out of different rooms, adding an accessory and immediately discarding it in search of something better, and Mimi had disappeared downstairs to change for (according to Roger) the fifth time. Maureen was giving hurried and unneeded instructions about Kate to Angie, Rachael, and Adrienne - who had volunteered to remain behind to babysit - and Roger had gone after his wife. Which left Mark and Joanne alone in the family area.

"I'm sorry I can't make it to the trial," Mark told Joanne, smiling apologetically as he watched her touch-up her makeup.

She replaced the compact and returned his smile. "It's fine, really. We need you to get back on those legs!"

Mark would be attending his first physical therapy session that morning. They were going to drop him off on the way to the trial, and Adrienne would pick him up later in a friend's borrowed car.

"It's funny, actually," the filmmaker observed. "A month or so ago, no one would believe we'd be this anxious about a trial involving Benny. And yet, here we are…"

"No matter what we'd prefer, it seems like we don't have much of a choice when it comes to Benny," Joanne sighed. "Somehow we just keep getting thrown together."

Fifteen minutes later, they were finally on their way. Joanne and Maureen drove in Joanne's jeep, and Roger, Mimi, Anna, and Mark followed in Roger's car. The second group made a slight detour to drop Mark off. He grinned at Roger as Anna prepared to wheel him inside.

"Tell Joanne from me to break a leg!"

Roger snorted. "Yeah, because we really need more than one person in physical therapy right now, huh?"

Mark gave him the middle finger ("Mark!" Anna admonished), and after a few minutes the remaining three continued on their way.

The courtroom had the usual forbidding air about it. Tall, cold, imposing...Maureen gulped and clutched Joanne's hand tightly. Joanne had the air of a practiced lawyer; no visible emotion, steady step…but she squeezed Maureen's hand right back.

Benny was waiting outside with Ben. The younger Coffin initially hadn't wanted to attend the trial, but he finally decided to come to give his input as a "witness." Now he looked uncomfortable in a suit and tie.

Alison stood close by with her lawyer. She was tactfully avoiding looking at her ex-husband, but the way Ben was positioned put him more or less halfway between his parents, which seemed to reassure her.

"You okay?" Mimi asked the teen quietly while the others exchanged formalities.

He shrugged, head down. "I hate this," he mumbled.

She nodded. "I know. It sucks."

"Did your parents divorce?" he asked her in surprise.

"When I was sixteen – your age, actually. I ran away after that."

Ben gave a weak smile. He seemed slightly comforted that someone, even his ex-girlfriend's mother, understood how he felt.

They filed into the building in an awkward cluster, entering the courtroom nervously. Joanne, Benny, Alison, and her lawyer progressed to the front seats; Roger, Mimi, Maureen, and Anna sat in the second row behind Joanne. Ben, who didn't seem sure what he was supposed to be doing, sat just in front of them. There was no one else on Alison's side of the room.

The judge entered, and there was a moment of confused hesitance – were you supposed to rise in this informal of a trial? – and then everyone got up and sat back down quickly, and the trial proceeded.

"We are here today to…"

--

"Come on, Mark, I know you can do it! Stretch your leg out just a bit further…" the therapist urged.

Mark grimaced. It had only been a half hour, and he had already decided to formulate an immediate plan to kill the cheery man before him. He just _couldn't _do it. It hurt. He groaned.

_"_…_I believe you will get through this. I believe you will walk again."_

The memory of Anna's voice, and the thought of her disappointment if he gave up, made him relent and grit his teeth, thrusting his leg out as far as it would go.

--

Later that afternoon, an exultant group burst into the Loft, startling the occupants out of their game of Chutes and Ladders.

"We did it!" Maureen exclaimed, scooping Kate into her arms and kissing her soundly on the head. "We won!"

"That's wonderful!" Mark grinned and gave Joanne a half-hug.

"Congratulations!" Rachael added.

"Mama!" Kate cheered.

"It took a while, but it was stupid, really," Joanne said modestly. "Alison didn't have much of a case. Benny got a job, after all, and Ben's definitely old enough that he doesn't need extremely close supervision. There was no reason to go against joint custody."

"So where are they?" Angie asked. She had not spoken to Ben since their break-up, but she felt guilty about this and was glad she would be able to see him and apologize.

"He's with his mom," Joanne said. "We invited Benny to come celebrate with us, but he said no."

"Let's go to the Life," Mimi suggested. "We haven't been in, what, a week? That has to be a record."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Roger said. "How about you Adrienne? You wanna come?"

She smiled. "Sure, why not? I have tonight off. Let me get my coat from the bedroom."

"How did therapy go?" Anna asked her husband as everyone got ready to leave.

"It was…fine." He replied reluctantly.

"Just fine?"

"The only reason it was even fine is because I kept thinking of you," he admitted. "I did it for you."

She kissed him fondly. "It _will _get easier, hon."

"I need to believe that."

* * *

A/N: In the last chapter, I'll tie up all the loose ends and then...goodbye. So review, and expect a quick update.


	18. Love Will Lead You Home

A/N: Well...here it is. The final chapter. Most of me can't believe it's really over - it's been a year today! This fic has, by far, been the hardest to write for me, and taken the longest by a large margin. It was touch and go nearly the entire time, and I really understand what writer's block is now! But all things, good or bad, end eventually. So...read, stay tuned for the author's note at the end, and REVIEW.

(Btw, I know Mark's camera doesn't record sound. He just pretends it does.)

* * *

_**Five months later…**_

"…happy birthday, dear Adrienne, happy birthday to you!"

Maureen's falsetto rendition of the song carried out past that of her friends, and they all laughed as she let the final note carry, gasping for breath before finally giving up with a gulp.

"Make a wish!" Angie urged her sister, cheering along with the rest of them.

Adrienne beamed around at her family. "That's easy," she murmured, and shut her eyes tight. Then she opened them and smiled at the little girl to her left. "Ready, Katy-did?"

Kate giggled and leaned forward obediently. Together, the two blew twenty-two candles out.

"Thanks, kiddo," Adrienne ruffled the toddler's hair affectionately before handing her off to Joanne.

"I've got the knife!" Maureen shouted, coming forward with a butcher knife.

Joanne's eyes grew wide as saucers. "Maureen…don't you think a smaller knife would be…" She was cut off as Maureen tripped, and everyone screamed as the knife flew through the air, thudding into the floor dangerously close to Rachael's foot.

There was a moment of stunned silence, and then shaky, relieved laughter. Mimi pulled the knife out of the floor and traded it off for a less lethal weapon, which she used to slice the cake into neat squares.

"How big of a piece do you want, Ben?" she asked the teen, who was squashed between his sister and father.

"As big as they come!" he replied cheerfully.

"Where's Mark?" Roger asked suddenly, and everyone noticed he was not among them.

Rachael peered around the lens of her father's camera, smiling mischievously.

"Rachael…" her mother asked suspiciously, "…does your father know you have his-?"

"Rachael!!" Mark shouted from his bedroom. He ran into the room, face red, glasses lopsided on his nose.

Everyone froze, and then as one, roared with laughter. Choking, Rachael handed her father his camera.

"Don't – worry – Dad…I've been filming."

His jaw dropped as he saw the carved cake. "I missed the birthday song?" He looked so forlorn that it was impossible not to feel at least a _little _sorry for him.

Maureen shoved a plate of cake in his face.

"Eat, and forget about it," she advised him wisely.

Bemused, the filmmaker took a seat.

"What did you wish for?" Angie asked Adrienne eagerly.

"If she tells, it won't come true!" Anna reminded her.

"That's just a superstition!" Roger rolled his eyes.

"No, it's true," Benny assured them.

"C'mon, tell us!" Rachael whined.

Adrienne grinned. "All right, all right. What I wished for is…that I would always have you guys, my _family _around me, because I don't ever want to be lonely again." She blushed at the stunned silence that followed and ducked her head in embarassment.

Mimi leaned forward and hugged Adrienne to her.

"Don't worry, chica. You'll always have us."

Angie joined the hug, and one by one, the rest of the Bohos followed, creating a large group huddle.

"All right," Maureen said finally, sniffling and drawing back. "Enough tears. Let's eat some of this cake!"

This was met with anonymous affirmation, and before long the cake was completely gone, down to the last bit of frosting.

"I want to say a few things, if you guys don't mind," Mark said, drawing everyone's attention to him. He stood and handed the camera to Rachael, who trained it on her father as he began to speak.

"I hope nobody minds if I bring up a couple of sensitive subjects here…This time last year, we didn't have it nearly this good. Collins' death still weighed heavily on everyone, sometimes more than other times, and to some people more than others. On top of that, Mimi here was ill, and to be honest, we weren't sure…" he took a breath, "…we weren't sure how long she had left. If he'll let me be brutally honest, Roger was a butt." Roger smiled faintly. "Ben and Angie were secretly dating. And Benny and Alison…well, we didn't see much of them, but we knew things were going badly. Over the years we've had good and bad times, and that was just not one of the best times. The year kept getting worse, and then Mimi almost died on Christmas Eve. But once again…she was saved. And for a few days, at least, it seemed like things would be all right. And then there was the crash." He looked down at his legs and back up with a sheepish smile. "I didn't know if I would ever be able to walk again. And…that was _scary_. But you can see that here I stand. I can walk and run and do whatever the heck I wanna do. We got lucky. Here we all are with several new faces among us, and you'll notice smiles on each and every one. Benny and Ben are here and happy, thanks to Joanne. Maureen and Joanne finally adopted, and Kate is just the sweetest little girl – since Rachael!" he amended quickly, because his daughter was glaring pointedly at him. Everyone laughed. "And finally, we not only gained still another "daughter", we're celebrating her twenty-second birthday right now! This time last year, could anyone have guessed we'd be here today? No. But we are. This is just proof that we can pull through. I know there will be other hard times in the future, but _today_, right _now_, we're together. So…yeah. Thanks."

He sat back down, face tomato red. Slowly, beginning with Roger and spreading around, the others began applauding. The applause (and catcalls on Maureen's part) built to a crescendo and trailed off. Everyone beamed.

"That's all true, Mark," Joanne said softly, squeezing his hand.

"Uncle Marky!" Kate reached out to her godfather, who took her in his arms.

"Love heals…" Mimi said quietly.

"What?" Benny asked.

She spoke louder. "Well, I was just thinking…when we're at our lowest point…when everything seems unfair and sad…that's when we feel lonely. But then, when we're all together, and all of us love each other, everything's all right again. Love heals."

They contemplated it for a moment.

"I like it," Mark said finally, a smile curling its way across his face. "That's what I'm going to call my next documentary. 'Love Heals.'"

And as the party continued, the Loft rang with the laughter of a close-knit family who had gone through their bad and good times and always would – but who knew just what they needed to heal.

* * *

A/N: I hope you think this is a fitting ending. I tried.

A million thank-you's to everyone who reviewed this story. I would like to recognize everyone individually, but I'm afraid I would accidentally leave someone out, and that wouldn't be fair. So just thank you, and a special thanks to Renthead07, without whom this story would probably never be finished. Thanks for lifting me up when I was down.

I originally said I would write a prequel to Viva La Vie Boheme!, so it would be a trilogy of sorts, but as of now I don't know if/when that will happen. I plan to take a long break from this plot line! But you may eventually see it up, so keep a watchful eye.

_broadwaylover07_


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